South Lanarkshire

infobox Scotland council area
Council= South Lanarkshire
Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas






SizeRank= 11th
Size= 1,772 km²
Water= ?
AdminHQ= Hamilton
ISO= GB-SLK
ONS= 00RF
PopulationRank= 5th
PopulationDate= 2004
Population= 305,410
PopulationDensity=172 / km²
CouncilDetails= South Lanarkshire Council
http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/
Control=
Council Leader= TBA Soon
Lord Provost= TBA Soon
MPs=

• Jimmy Hood (Lanark and Hamilton East)
• Adam Ingram (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
• Thomas McAvoy (Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
• David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)

MSPs=

• Karen Gillon (Clydesdale)
• Andy Kerr (East Kilbride)
• James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen)
• Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill)
• Tom McCabe (Hamilton South)
• 7 South of Scotland List MSP's (Clydesdale Only)
• 7 Central Scotland List MSP's (East Kilbride, Hamilton South and Hamilton North and Bellshill)
• 7 Glasgow List MSP's (Glasgow Rutherglen Only)

South Lanarkshire ("Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas" in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages.

outh Lanarkshire Council

South Lanarkshire Council is headquartered in Hamilton, has 15,000 employees, and an annual budget of £538 million. The council publishes a regular four-year plan, FourCast. The large and varied council area takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark, Strathaven and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and East Kilbride which was Scotland's first new town.

There are 20 council wards in South Lanarkshire, each represented on the council by an 3 or 4 elected councillors using Single Transferable Vote. South Lanarkshire operates a cabinet style system, with key decisions being taken by the Executive Committee, under the leadership of the Council Leader, and approved by the council, led by the Provost.

South Lanarkshire shares borders with the unitary authorities of Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, City of Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, West Lothian and Scottish Borders.

The area was formed in 1996, from the areas of Clydesdale, Hamilton and East Kilbride districts, and some outer areas of Glasgow District (Rutherglen/Fernhill, Cambuslang/Halfway and part of King's Park/Toryglen).

Political composition

Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Labour Party
seats = 30
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = -19
seats % = 44.8
votes % = 39.6
votes = 48,677
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish National Party
seats = 24
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = +15
seats % = 35.8
votes % = 29.2
votes = 35,866
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Conservative Party
seats = 8
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = +4
seats % = 11.9
votes % = 12.9
votes = 15,924
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
seats = 2
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 3.0
votes % = 7.2
votes = 8,897
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Green Party
seats = 0
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 2.7
votes = 3,354
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = East Kilbride Alliance
seats = 0
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 1.2
votes = 1,511
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Socialist Party
seats = 0
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 0.8
votes = 966
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Unionist Party (1986)
seats = 0
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 0.7
votes = 912
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Solidarity (Scotland)
seats = 0
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 0.2
votes = 261
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Scottish Christian Party
seats = 0
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 0.1
votes = 180
plus/minus = Election Summary Party
party = Independent (politician)
seats = 3
gain = N/A
loss = N/A
net = 0
seats % = 4.5
votes % = 5.2
votes = 6,422
plus/minus =

Council Headquarters

The Council Headquarters building, on Almada Street, Hamilton, was built as the Lanark County Buildings in 1963, and designed by Lanark council architect D G Bannerman. The 16 storey, 165 foot tower is the largest in Hamilton, and is a highly visible landmark across this part of the Clyde Valley. The modernist design was influenced by the United Nations building in New York. Glass curtain walls cover the north and south facades, with the narrow east and west sides being blank white walls. At the front of the building is the circular council chamber, and a plaza with water features.

Towns and villages

Principal towns (population over 10,000)

*Blantyre
*Cambuslang
*Carluke
*East Kilbride
*Hamilton
*Larkhall
*Rutherglen

mall towns and villages

*Abington
*Ashgill
*Auchengray
*Auchenheath
*Biggar
*Blackwood
*Bothwell
*Braehead
*Braidwood
*Burnside
*Carmichael
*Carnwath
*Carstairs
*Coalburn
*Cobbinshaw
*Coulter
*Crawford
*Crawfordjohn
*Crossford
*Dalserf
*Dolphinton
*Douglas
*Douglas Water
*Elsrickle
*Forth
*Glassford
*Kilncadzow
*Kirkfieldbank
*Kirkmuirhill
*Lanark
*Law Village
*Leadhills
*Lesmahagow
*Newbigging
*Nerston
*Pettinain
*Quarter
*Quothquan
*Rigside
*Stonehouse
*Strathaven
*Symington
*Tarbrax
*Thankerton
*Thorntonhall
*Uddingston
*Wiston
*Woolfords

Places of interest

*Bothwell Castle
*Strathaven Castle
*John Hastie Museum, Strathaven
*Low Parks Museum, Hamilton
*Chatelherault Country Park, near Hamilton, including Cadzow Castle
*Craignethan Castle
*David Livingstone Centre, in Blantyre
*Dollan Baths, East Kilbride
*Falls of Clyde
*Little Sparta, near Dunsyre near Lanark
*New Lanark, a World Heritage Site
*Clyde Valley
*Sites of the Battle of Drumclog and the Battle of Bothwell Bridge

Tertiary Education

*South Lanarkshire College
*University of the West of Scotland (formally Bell College)

External links

* [http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk South Lanarkshire Council homepage]