East Kilbride

**East Kirkbride** (, meanin Sanct Bride's Kirk) is a lairge suburban toun in the Sooth Lanrikshire cooncil aurie, in the Wast Central Lawlands o Scotland. Designatit as Scotland's first new toun in 1947, it forms pairt o the Greater Glesga conurbation. The aurie lies on heich grund on the sooth side o the Cathkin Braes, aboot 8 mile (13&nbsp;km)  sootheast o Glesga ceety centre an close tae the bundary wi East Renfrewshire.

The toun is enclosed bi the White Cart River tae the wast an the Rotten Calder tae the east, the latter flowin northwards tae jyne the River Clyde near Cambuslang. This aurie wis previously the steid o the sma an historic veelage o East Kirkbride, prior tae its post-war development. The modren dounset serves baith as a dormitory toun for the ceety o Glesga an maintains its awn commercial centre.

## History

The earliest evidence o habitation in the aurie dates back tae auncient graves foond near the Kype Watter tae the sooth o the destrict. Roman coins an footwear hae an aa been foond in the aurie.

East Kirkbride takes its name frae an Erse saint, St Brigit who foondit a monastery for nuns an monks in Kildare, Ireland in the 6t century. Erse monks introduced her order tae Scotland. *Kil*, frae the Gaelic *cill*, means kirk or burial place.

East Kirkbride grew frae a sma veelage o aroond 900 indwallers in 1930 tae acome eventually a lairge burgh. Ahint this growthe lay the rapid industrialisation o the nineteent century which left hintle o the wirkin population throughoot Scotland's central belt frae Glesga tae Edinburgh livin in the hoosin stock biggit at the end o that century but accommodatin far mair fowk. Warld War I postponed ony better hoosin as did the Treaty o Versailles an the period o post war dounset it creatit. In turn this wis follaed bi the Great Depression. Efter Warld War II, Glesga, aaready sufferin frae chronic shortages o hoosin, haed tae deal wi bomb damage frae the war.

Frae this unlikely backdrop a new dawn emerged which wad bring East Kirkbride tae its unlikely success. In 1946 the Greater Glesga Regional Plan allocatit steids whaur owerspill satellite "new touns" coud be constructit tae help alleviate the hoosin shortage. Glesga wad an aa unnertake the development o its peripheral hoosin estates. East Kirkbride wis the first o five new touns in Scotland tae be designatit, in 1947, follaed bi Glenrothes (1948), Cumbernauld (1956), Livingston (1962) an Irvine (1964).

The toun haes been subdividit intae residential precincts, each wi its awn local shops, primary schuils an community facilities. The hoosin precincts surroond the shoppin centre, which is bund bi a ringroad. Industrial estates are concentratit at steids tae the north, wast an sooth, on the ootskirts o the toun.

## Geografie

The aurie o East Kirkbride is hame tae a river valley which, apairt frae the Avon Gorge, is unique in the wey it wis formed. A river uisually starts aff narrae, fast-flowin, wi steep cliffs, an in the hills. This is the youth o the river. Later ance the river reaches flat land it begins tae widen an meander an flow slower. This is the river's middle age. Calderglen is interestin in that it flows fast, haes steep cliffs an is fairly narrae (youth stage) but meanders an aa. The Rotten Calder therefore haes its river youth efter its middle age, as the river soorce is on flatter laund an is meanderin an slow flowin.

East Kirkbride forms pairt o the Greater Glesga Conurbation.

## Govrenance


**East Kirkbride Destrict** 1975-96



Frae 1975 East Kirkbride lent its name tae a local govrenment destrict in the Strathclyde region. In 1996 admeenistrative functions wur taken ower bi the Sooth Lanrickshire unitary cooncil. (See: Subdiveesions o Scotland)

Thare is an East Kirkbride constituency o the Scots Parliament. Frae the openin o the Scots Parliament, the constituency wis representit bi Andy Kerr MSP (Labour), till Mey 2011 whan the seat wis wan bi Linda Fabiani MSP (Scots National Pairty).

East Kirkbride wis umwhile a constituency o the UK Parliament. In 2005 it wis replaced bi the constituency o East Kirkbride, Strathaven an Lesmahagow. The seat wis held frae 1987 tae 2010 bi Adam Ingram. Syne the 2010 election the seat haes been held bi Michael McCann, previously a Sooth Lanrickshire Cooncillor.

## Economy

The toun centre is occupee'd bi a lairge shoppin centre comprisin 6 linked maws, developit in phases. The maws are kent bi local residents as "The Centre".

The sax maws are The Plaza (development stairtit in 1972), Princes Mall (1984), Olympia (1988), Southgate (1989), Princes Square (1997) an Centre West (2003). The shoppin centre haes come unner recent criticism for losin major retail chains in licht o risin rental prices. This coupled wi the Centre West expansion an decreasin shopper nummers haes alloued swathes o properties athin the centre tae remain closed for months at a time, notably on the first floor o Centre West an the Plaza.

A £400m redevelopment o East Kirkbride toun centre haes been gien the gang-aheid bi Sooth Lanrikshire Cooncil. The plan wad demolish some existin biggins tae creaut a new civic centre, a state-o-the-airt heal centre, a leebrar an shoppin facilities.

It wad alsae see a "landmark" airts an cultur complex wi a 1,000-seat theatre, a 500-seat conference centre, a museum an a new toun square.

Parking spaces in the toun centre wad increase frae 3,000 tae 8,700 spaces. The first stage o the plan wis due tae stairt in 2006, wi completion o the major elements in 2012/2013, but the project haes been indefinitely delayed. It is hoped the project, the various phases o which will require full planning permission, will creaut up tae 3,000 temporary jobs ower the 10-year construction programme and 2,000 permanent jobs.

The new civic an heal facilities wad be creatit at the steid currently occupee'd bi Plaza Touer, which wad be demolished, wi the theatre an airts facilities bein creatit at the adjoinin Olympia Centre.

The current civic centre an the adjoinin Hunter Health Centre wad be demolished tae mak wey for the first phase o development, which wad include a major fuid retail store.

Thare is tae be a relocation o the Hunter Health Center tae a mair central aurie whaur consumers can access it.

A branch o the govrenment's Depairtment for Internaitional Development is locatit on the wastren edge o East Kirkbride at Hairmyres.

## Local auries

East Kirkbride is dividit intae a nummer o smawer auries bordered bi main throu-roads. Pairt o the new toun design wis that each o thir wad be a self-contained entity, wi local shops an primary schuils. This is true for the oreeginal auries o the toun but newer developments, sic as Stewartfield dae no adhere tae this model.

## Releegion
Thare are approximately 30 kirks in East Kirkbride. This includes 9 Kirk o Scotland kirks, 3 Baptist Kirk an 4 Catholic Congregations.
Johavah's Witnesses are hae a Kinrick Haw near the centre o the toun.

Westwoodhill Evangelical Kirk, is based on Westwoodhill in the Westwood.

The Christadelphians meet in Calderwood Community Centre.

## Transport
East Kilbride is connectit tae Glesga ceety centre bi road an rail. Three main roads connect East Kilbride wi surroondin suburbs an the ceety, ane bein the A727 (umwhile A726) leadin wast tae Busby an on tae Clarkston Toll. Anither route bein the A749 which runs north intae Rutherglen. Recently, the addition o the Glesga Soothren Orbital road links the wast o the toun directly wi Newton Mearns an the M77. This road haes taken ower the designation A726. East Kilbride bus station, at the shoppin centre, wis recently rebuilt an provides modren facilities. East Kilbride railway station is situatit in the Veelage. Trains depairt tae Glasgow Central railway station ivery hauf oor, wi a journey time o 27 minutes. The toun is an aa served bi Hairmyres railway station in Hairmyres.

East Kirkbride's primary bus operator is First Glasgow which provides regular services tae the ceety centre, Busby, Clarkston, Castlemilk, Rutherglen, Blantyre, Hamilton, Motherwell an tae mony ither destinations athort Greater Glesga.
Stagecoach West Scotland provide a hauf-oorly tae oorly service tae Ayr, Arriva Scotland West ran a oorly 600 service tae the Airport via: Busby, Clarkston, Giffnock, Thornliebank, Silverburn Centre, Hurlet, an Paisley, but wis discontinued in late 2009.

Similar tae ither new touns, the road netwirk athin the aurie is populatit bi mony roondaboots; Glaswegians jokinly refer tae East Kirkbride as "roondaboot ceety". The reference is in fact "Polo mint Ceety" efter the roond, mint sweet.

### Cyclin

East Kirkbride is a guid place for cyclin wi mony o the busy roondaboots haein unnerpasses for pedestrians an cyclists. On 19 Juin 2009, Naitional Cyclin Route 756 wis opened an connects East Kirkbride an Rutherglen wi the Glasgow City Boundary.

## Landmarks

### Dollan Aqua Centre
Ane o the maist significant biggins o an earlier phase o development wis Dollan Baths leisur complex (opened 1968) which haes category A leetit status. The Dollan Baths are the subject o a local urban meeth, which tauld that the puil wis biggit 5&nbsp;cm short o Oleempic size. In actual fact, the puil wis biggit as 55 yards lang, but is anerlie sax lanes wide, rather than the Oleempic staundart o 50m an ten lanes wide. The Aqua Centre re-opened on Mey 28 2011 efter a major refurbishment costin
£6.5 million. Facilities include soummin puil wi muiveable floor, heal suite an fitness gym.  A famous gless waw allouin views frae the reception aurie intae the puil haes sadly gane.

### Hunter Hoose Museum

Contains exhibits relatin tae medical pioneers, William an John Hunter, who wur born in the aurie.

### St. Brides's Kirk
Bi airchitects Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, 1957-1964.

### Loupin On Stane
Ootside the Montgomery Arms in the veelage.

### The White Man
Seatit statue o Sir Walter Scott, corner o Old Coach Rd an Markethill Rd.

### National Museum of Rural Life
5 starn museum an wirkin ferm, featurin 1950s dairy ferm methods, run bi National Museums of Scotland  at Kittochside.

### James Hamilton Heritage Park
16 acre manmade lake wi watersports facilities  and surroondin naitur sanctuary.  Owerleukit bi Mains Castle (private).

### Langlands Moss
Scottish Natural Heritage natur reserve.  A boardwalk allous visitors tae walk ower the moss safely.

### Whitelees Windfarm
Europe's lairgest on shore windferm is locatit near Eaglesham.  Visitors centre, walks.

## Pairks an sports

East Kilbride Thistle is the toun's main fitbaa club.  (It is the lairgest toun in Scotland athoot a senior fitbaa team, housomeivver a new club, East Kilbride haes been formed an coud be includit in the Scots Fitbaa League in roughly 5 years time.)

East Kilbride RFC, are based at Calderglen Country Park. East Kilbride Lawn Tennis Club is ane o the auldest tennis club in Scotland. East Kilbride Pirates play in the British American Football League.

EK82 Handbaw Club Foondit in 1972, thay train at the John Wright Sports Centre an the Alistair McCoist Complex. Thay play in the Scots Naitional League.

Athletics in the toun is covered bi 3 athletics clubs. Whitemoss, East Kirkbride an Calderglen. Baith Whitemoss an East Kilbride Athletic Club are based at the John Wright Sports centre.

Greenhills Dynamo is an amateur fitbaa side set up in 1998.  Syne its formation, the team haes enjoyed relative success in the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League winnin 7 trophies in 13 years, mair notably the Premier Diveesion in Saison 2009/10 unner the Management o Tommy Livingston an his assistant Dougie Craggs. Club Secretary Gavin McCann regularly contributes tae **The East Kirkbride News** an an' a' the **East Kirkbride Mail** whaur readers can follae the team's fortunes.

## Twin toun
*  Ballerup, Denmark
*  Omey, Northren Ireland

## References

## Freemit airtins

* Interactive pictur guide o East Kilbride
* East Kilbride's Shoppin Centre
* Business an Community
* Community an Local Events 
* East Kilbride Pirates American Fitbaw team
* Dynamica Drum Corps, East Kilbride

## Further interest
### New touns
* "''The Disappointing New Towns of Great Britain'' 
* "''New Towns: Can They Be Given New Life?'' "
* "''Building Towns for the future''"