Woodlands, Falkirk

, which is mainly residential. Much of the ward is taken up by leafy streets where property prices are among the highest in Central Scotland (with several houses selling at over £800,000) and includes Lochgreen, Slamannan, Rosebank, Gartcows and Southern Pleasance areas. Many of the Victorian and Edwardian houses were built by wealthy industrialists who had profited from Falkirk's economic prosperity during the industrial revolution, often without regard to expense.

The area is close to the town centre, and incorporates the Dollar Park, gifted to the town by Falkirk-born billionaire Robert Dollar, who is recorded as the 80th richest man ever to live. Dollar Park is situated on Camelon Road, one of the busiest roads in Scotland. Both the Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk and the Chief Executive of Falkirk Council live in Woodlands. The area is staunchly Conservative (an anomaly in staunchly Labour Falkirk), and three of the Conservative candidates for the 2007 local elections were from Gartcows, two from the same street, Gartcows Crescent.

Local schools include Comely Park School, with high competition for places, founded in 1878, and Bantaskine Primary School, situated near the Bantaskine Estate. Secondary schools include St. Mungo's Roman Catholic High School. However, many families educate their children privately at Edinburgh public schools or at Dollar Academy.

Falkirk Lawn Tennis Club, founded in 1891, is situated within the area.

Most of Woodlands is in the Parish of St. Andrew's West Church, and some is also in the Parishes of Falkirk Old and St. Modan's, and Erskine Parish Church. Some also attend Roman Catholic church, St. Francis' Xaviers.

Economy

In the 2006 Scottish Index of Deprivation (compiled by the Scottish Executive) a particular part of Woodlands was ranked 11th highest out of 6500 areas in Scotland in terms of income.

According to the 2001 Census, 35% of residents are of Social Class A/B (compared to 17% in Falkirk), with only 15% receiving benefits. 33% of residents hold a First or other professional degree (compared to 14% in Falkirk) and 42% of housing is detached (compared to 17% in Falkirk). 86% of housing is owner occupied (compared to 60% in Falkirk), while only 10% is council housing (compared to 33% in Falkirk).

Politics

The ward is one of only two Conservative-held wards in Falkirk Council, and has only ever been Conservative. Indeed, in 1996, at a time when the Conservatives were at only 11% in national opinion polls, the Conservative Party increased their vote by 12% to 55% in Woodlands. In the 2003 elections, the Conservative Party received 49%, more than double the next best candidate, Labour. Nervertheless the Conservative majority in Woodlands has fallen from 36% in 1992 to 25% in 2003. Only Polmont had a higher Conservative vote in Falkirk in 2003, with 65%, a majority of 45%.

Falkirk's two Conservatives controlled Falkirk as part of an SNP-led coalition until 2007, when the council was re-taken by Labour on a cut of cards as the SNP and Labour had won an equal number of seats.

However, in the 2007 local elections Woodlands was grouped with five other surrounding wards to form a larger Falkirk South ward, with several Councillors. This resulted in the election of four councillors: two Labour, one Scottish National Party (SNP) and one Conservative. The extrapolated result for Woodlands alone is very likely to have been Conservative hold, with 500 more votes in 2007 than in 2003.

Irish Election box begin
title=2007 Council election: Falkirk SouthIrish Election box candidate with party link|
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Gerry Goldie
votes = 2528
percentage =
seat = 1
count = 1 Irish Election box candidate with party link|
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Georgie Thomson
votes = 2192
percentage =
seat = 2
count = 1Irish Election box candidate with party link|
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = John Patrick
votes = 1482
percentage =
seat = 3
count = 2 Irish Election box candidate with party link|
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Joe Lemetti
votes = 853
percentage =
seat = 4
count = 2 Irish Election box candidate with party link|
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Ronald Buchanan
votes = 390
percentage =
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link|
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = Mark Straub
votes = 127
percentage =
seat =
count = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = John Patrick
votes = 1,007
percentage = 48.4
change = +8.0 Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Elizabeth Reap
votes = 489
percentage = 23.5
change = -4.4 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Joe Bruce
votes = 414
percentage = 19.9
change = -2.5 Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats
candidate = Torben Bjarke Ballinn
votes = 169
percentage = 8.1
change = -1.2 Election box majority
votes = 518
percentage = 24.9
change = +12.4 Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 56.6
change = -12.2 Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = "N/A"
swing = "N/A" Election box end

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = John Patrick
votes = 989
percentage = 40.4
change = -14.5 Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Derek J Sharkey
votes = 682
percentage = 27.9
change = -0.1 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = John B Reid
votes = 549
percentage = 22.4
change = +7.8 Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats
candidate = Andrew I Smith
votes = 227
percentage = 9.3
change = +6.8 Election box majority
votes = 307
percentage = 12.5
change = -14.4 Election box turnout
votes = 3556
percentage = 68.8
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = "N/A"
swing = "N/A" Election box end

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Robert Thomson
votes = 604
percentage = 54.9
change = +11.4 Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Joe Lemetti
votes = 308
percentage = 28
change = -4.3 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Alexander Forsyth
votes = 161
percentage = 14.6
change = -9.6 Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats
candidate =
votes = 27
percentage = 2.5
change = +2.5 Election box majority
votes = 296
percentage = 26.9
change = +15.7 Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = "N/A"
swing = "N/A" Election box end

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Robert Thomson
votes = 526
percentage = 43.5
change = -13.5 Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Joe Lemetti
votes = 391
percentage = 32.3
change = +12.1 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Alexander Forsyth
votes = 293
percentage = 24.2
change = +5.9 Election box majority
votes = 135
percentage = 11.2
change = +11.2 Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = "N/A"
swing = "N/A" Election box end

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Robert Thomson
votes = 803
percentage = 56.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate =
votes = 287
percentage = 20.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate =
votes = 260
percentage = 18.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats
candidate =
votes = 68
percentage = 4.8
change = Election box majority
votes = 516
percentage = 36.4
change = Election box turnout
votes = 1418
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = "N/A"
swing = "N/A" Election box end