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On 21 February 2019, North Lanarkshire Council passed its budget. This included voting through two controversial proposals. First, was the plan to introduce “a modern janitorial service”. Second, the removal of the animal collection at Palacerigg Country Park. The Labour led council cited the progressive real-term cuts to local authority funding enacted by the Scottish Government. But both issues have resulted in protest campaigns. The Save the Animal Park at Palacerigg Country Park Facebook page was set up by Margaret Moiyes, who has visited the park since she was a child. We sat at a picnic bench with her as she told us about what had happened to Palacerigg over the years. The park was busy with families using the play area or wandering among the now empty animal pens.
Margaret Moiyes, Save the Animal Park at Palacerigg Country Park, at Palacerigg Country Park.
Campaigning trade union GMB Scotland is working with janitorial staff in North Lanarkshire to negotiate a deal with the council. 43 janitor posts will be cut through voluntary redundancies. We spoke to GMB Scotland regional organiser, Benny Rankin about the situation and wider problems with how cuts impact front-line staff. We also interviewed Thomas Oliver, a retired janitor, about what they do, why they are important and what he thinks cuts to staff will mean for kids.
Thomas Oliver, former janitor, at St Ninian’s Chapel Hall in Kirkintilloch.
Maria Gannon is a researcher at the University of Glasgow. Her work includes developing a system that helps collate data that councils can use when trying to decide how to balance their budgets. We visited her office on campus and asked her about how local authorities manage funding cuts. She also told us about the importance of local press in gathering information.
Neil McGrory is the local democracy reporter for North Lanarkshire. He has written about both the janitorial cuts and the animals at Palacerigg. We interviewed him in the soon to close office of the Cumbernauld News. He will be relocated to a desk in Glasgow but will continue to file copy from the area. He told us about the importance of journalism in informing the public and what readers want from their local paper.
Neil McGrory, Local Democracy Reporter, at the Cumbernauld News office in Cumbernauld Town Centre.
We also spoke to the people of North Lanarkshire. We asked them if they knew any councillors, knew what the council did for the area, whether they had heard of the cuts and what memories they had of school janitors and the animals at Palacerigg. At the last council election, in 2017, voter turnout was 43.7%. The SNP received the most votes but Labour formed a minority executive with support from the Conservatives and independents.
Music in the podcast was created by Tone and Groove.