Public meetings in Blantyre and Whitehill as residents battle against community centre closures

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Residents across South Lanarkshire are battling to save their valued local community centres as a consultation deadline looms ahead of crunch council meetings.Blantyre community council is hosting a public meeting tonight and Whitehill activity group will stage another on Wednesday as they bid to save venues which are under threat amid budget cuts to operator South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC).Trade union GMB South Lanarkshire is also planning a protest outside the council’s Almada Street headquarters on Sunday – while thousands of people have now signed a raft of petitions calling for the retention of the 37 halls, libraries and community facilities earmarked for the “withdrawal of services”.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Blantyre community council’s event takes place at the June Stewart centre tonight, Monday February 12, at 7pm; and the organisers are asking locals to turn out in force to highlight the impact of the “savage cuts” to representatives including the area’s MSP, MP and three councillors.

The venue is under threat along with the nearby High Blantyre and Tact halls plus the area’s library, and community council chair Dr Susan Lindner-Kelly told Lanarkshire Live: “People are really quite angry and concerned as these resources matter to our community – they aren’t just