Solar lighting to be introduced in Glasgow park after women raise safety concerns

Alexandra Park in Glasgow is set to have lighting installed as women raise concerns about walking through the grounds in the dark winter mornings and evenings.

Solar-powered lampposts are to be installed along a main path linking the entrances from Alexandra Parade and Provan Road in the east end.

Dennistoun councillors Anthony Carroll and Allan Casey have welcomed the move after £150,000 was approved from council funding at the area partnership meeting.

People have been in touch with Councillor Carroll to raise issues about walking through the park in the dark.

Reacting to the new lighting plans, the Green councillor said: “I’m delighted that Dennistoun Area Partnership agreed to my call for lighting in Alexandra Park. This will help improve safety for park users who use the park in the early morning and later in the evenings in particular.

“This will benefit not just park users but residents in Riddrie too, who use the park as a key route to walk to Alexandra Parade station for work, avoiding the busy Provan and Cumbernauld roads and enjoying nature before and after their work with a safer route now.”

SNP councillor Casey said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to approve £150,000 from the Council’s Neighbourhood Infrastructure Fund to deliver new lighting in Alexandra Park.

“This investment will make a real difference to safety in the park and help ensure it remains a welcoming space for everyone in our community. There will be meetings on site to agree the final designs, but it’s likely this will involve full lighting columns to provide the level of coverage needed from the Alexandra Parade entrance all along to the Provan Road entrance.”

Councillor Carroll joined a walk with council officials and groups Alexandra Park Food Forest and Wildlife of Alexandra Park to decide what pathway would be most suitable for the lights.

He added: “Green Councillors have been pressing for safer parks and a feminist lens added to our city’s planning approach across Glasgow – this is a prime example of doing so in the east end, and I look forward to working with the community and council officers to make this happen, now we have funding secured.”