Light The Way: Glasgow stays in the dark as Edinburgh Council to splash out on park lighting
Our #LightTheWay campaign for safer parks has been snubbed...
Edinburgh Council has approved funding for new and improved lighting in their parks, in a bid to make the city safer at night.
£500,000 is set to be pumped into better lights in 50 parks across the capital.
This has come as a kick in the teeth to supporters of our #LightTheWay campaign. Despite calling on Glasgow City Council for over 19 months to improve the lighting in Glasgow parks, it has been left out of the most recent council budget.
Local Labour councillor Jill Brown said she is "frustrated" that Glasgow has put the issue on the back burner.
A kick in the teeth
"I'm a bit envious," she said. "It's sad that we started pushing for better lights in parks way before Edinburgh and they have managed to do it before we've even managed to identify any money."
Glasgow Council has claimed that there is no money to put towards better lighting in the city's parks. There are concerns from campaigners that the money may have to come from external grants and crowdfunders.
READ MORE: Light the Way: Plans to put lighting in Glasgow parks under threat
Councillor Brown said: "Every local authority has had their funding cut to the bone but that's no excuse. Edinburgh Council isn't in any better shape than Glasgow when it comes to funding but they have chosen to put money towards safety.
"We need more money in local government, fundamentally, but Glasgow Council needs to figure out what their priorities are. If the safety of women, men and children at night isn't a priority, then what is?"
Campaign has significant support but no end is in sight
In December 2021, hundreds showed up to a demonstation in Kelvingrove to publicly back the #LightTheWay campaign.
The fight for better lighting has been supported by councillors and MSPs across parties, including Councillor Brown who first put the motion forward with Councillor Eva Murray.
The council voted unanimously in favour of improving the lighting and overall safety in Glasgow parks. However, no funding has been set aside for this.
This is "disappointing" for Councillor Brown, who said: "The campaign has public and political support but 18 months later, still nothing has been done.
"It was clear from the outset of the campaign that this is what people want. People want better lighting in parks, people coming home late from work want to feel safe and children want to be able to play in the parks after 4pm in the winter.
"It makes me wonder 'What is the point in us unanimously agreeing to take this forward if we're not actually prepared to fund it?'"
Calls for Glasgow to follow in Edinburgh's footsteps
This should be a "learning experience" for Glasgow Council, said Councillor Brown, who is urging them to take a page out of Edinburgh's book and invest money into making the city's parks safer.
She said: "Edinburgh Council has put their money where their mouth is and that's what needs to happen here. We've talked about the issue three times at committee meetings but what have we actually achieved so far?
"Edinburgh has absolutely set the benchmark - they have the money, they have the plan and they've shown Glasgow how it can be done."
Letting the issue get swept under the rug isn't an option for Councillor Brown, who said: "We need to double down, fight even harder and make sure that the money is found.
"These are our parks that we want to be able to use and travel safely through so we can't give up."