East Renfrewshire Council is objecting to the idea of a new charge that could affect its residents, but it’s a fair solution, says Mark Smith

Clarkston seems like a perfectly nice place. I was there recently talking to folk on the high street and asking them about what it was like and what the council services were like and house prices and all the rest of it and on the whole people seemed to agree: quite a nice place to live.

A couple of things stuck with me after my visit though, and they’re worth talking about given what East Renfrewshire Council, which includes Clarkston, has been saying about a new charge that could affect their residents. The charge would mean people driving from Clarkston and other parts of the area would have to pay to drive into Glasgow and it would seem that East Renfrewshire Council isn’t very happy about it.

Let me tell you about the two things that stuck with me after my visit and see where we get from there. The first thing is that, although Clarkston is relatively well-off, it’s not immune from the issues other councils are facing. Scot, of the eponymous Scot’s Shoe Repairs on the high street, told me the area is way more run down than it was: more rubbish, more rats. East Renfrewshire also covers areas that are less well-off; the man from the council told me 14% of children and young people in their area live in poverty.

However, the second thing that stuck with me is equally relevant. Lots of people said the public services in the area are good – one woman said she always knows when she’s driven out of East Ren into Glasgow because suddenly she’s having to dodge loads of potholes. Health, policing and environment all rate........

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