Plans to link Rutherglen and Cambuslang with new cycle route

Plans have been put forward to create a cycle route and woodland walk between Rutherglen and Cambuslang along the south bank of the River Clyde. The new route would create a 10km loop, which could potentially be used for races and by linking up with other routes would provide off-road access to Glasgow.

Cambuslang Community Council and the Healthy ‘n’ Happy Community Development Trust, through their CamGlen Bike Town Initiative, have come up with the plan and have drawn up a brief for a feasibility study with South Lanarkshire Council. This has now been submitted to the Central Scotland Green Network Trusts in the hope of securing £18,000 of funding.

Cambuslang Community Council’s John Bachtler says there has also been contact with Sustrans, Clyde Gateway and the Forestry Commission to let them know of the proposal.

The north side of the Clyde is already served by National Cycle Route 75 which heads into the city. The new plan would join with this to create a 10km loop that Bachtler says could potentially be used for races.

Speaking to The Daily Record, he said there were several reasons why the area was ideally suited to the plans. “There is a lot of woodland there, and the big thing in our favour is that this is an historic right of way, so there would be direct access to the park at the Cuningar Loop.”

The Cuningar Loop is currently being developed from derelict land into a woodland park by Clyde Gateway and is one of four sections that would be covered by the proposed new route. The others would be the old Hoover site at the old Cambuslang Bridge to Bogleshole Road, the Farme Castle industrial estate and the Clydebridge loop, which is currently owned by Tata Steel but which may be sold to the Klesch Group.

Councillor Graham Simpson, chair of the South Lanarkshire Cycling Partnership, said of the plans: “We’ve got the opportunity to create something really good, with cycling routes along the Clyde, which would connect people in South Lanarkshire with Glasgow.”