Spam valley

Spam Valley is a light-hearted, local, jokey term for an area of more expensive housing within a town or village, especially when sited next to a council housing area.

The "Spam Valley" term is used widely in Scotland, although most notably in the Midlothian town of Bonnyrigg where the following streets are said to be within the "Spam Valley" area:

Scollon Avenue, James Leary Way, Wishart Avenue, Martin Grove, McQuade Street & Evans Gardens.

And also an area of Gallowhill, Kirkintilloch where the following streets are said to be within the "Spam Valley" area:Boghead Road, Thornwood Ave, Pinewood Ave, Glenwood Drive, Forrest Place and Heather Drive.

The town of Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire is considered by residents of Glasgow's South Side to be "Spam Row" because the town sprung up quickly due to bulk private housing development. The prices of the homes increased due to two new motorway links, namely the M77 motorway and the GSO (Glasgow Southern Orbital). The housing was then sold at much higher prices and residents moved to newer housing being constructed in the area, despite no major improvements in facilities. Local bus passengers in Woodfarm refer to the Number 38 bus (which serves this area) as the "Spam Can" as the area is flooded with double deck buses which are never filled, while areas which depend on public transport are cut off. Surprisingly, the managing director of a major bus operator in the area lives in the town's Ayr Road.

The name comes from the rumour that the residents of "Spam Valley" had paid so much for their houses that although they appeared wealthy to the local population they were actually nearing poverty and were reduced to eating low-cost meat product Spam.