Future looks bright for Craigton drinking den

By Matt Coyle

A LOCAL hotspot for anti-social behaviour is to be transformed in to a community garden in an effort to cut crime.

The derelict site at Paisley Road West, Barfillon Drive and Barlogan Avenue, in Craigton, has been a regular haunt for underage drinkers, youth gangs and drug users for years.

Residents, action groups and the police have been trying to combat the problems with a good degree of success.

Figures obtained from Strathclyde Police show that there has been a substantial drop in anti-social behaviour in Craigton in the last year.

There were around 960 incidents of anti-social behaviour in Craigton over the last three months – a large drop from the five-year average of 1230 over the same period.

Despite these improvements petty crime levels remain high and are a continuing concern for the community.

Residents hope that the new garden will help prevent further incidents on the site and aid the positive improvements made in the last year.

The new garden project reflects the local community’s drive to see improvements in their area and enable locals to take ownership of the site.

The project is joint partnership between Glasgow Regeneration Agency’s South West Environmental Services (SWES), Glasgow Housing Association and Craigton Resident’s Action Group (CRAG).

Laura Dunbar, chairwoman of Craigton Residents’ Action Group, said: “This spot has attracted youth crime for years and this is a major step towards reducing crime in Craigton. It is widely regarded as a no-go area in Craigton but this new garden will hopefully change that because things are definitely getting better in the area.”