South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire
Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas
Logo Coat of arms
Location
South Lanarkshire council.PNG
Geography
Area Ranked 11th
 - Total 1,772 km2 (684 sq mi)
 - % Water  ?
Admin HQ Hamilton
ISO 3166-2 GB-SLK
ONS code 00RF
Demographics
Population Ranked 5th
 - Total (2007) 309,500
 - Density 175 /km² (453 /sq mi)
Politics
South Lanarkshire Council
http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/
Control Labour (minority control)
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.

Contents

South 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

South Lanarkshire Local Election Result 2007
Party Seats Gains Losses Net Gain/Loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/-
  Labour 30 N/A N/A -19 44.8 39.6 48,677
  Scottish National Party 24 N/A N/A +15 35.8 29.2 35,866
  Conservative 8 N/A N/A +4 11.9 12.9 15,924
  Liberal Democrats 2 N/A N/A 0 3.0 7.2 8,897
  Scottish Green 0 N/A N/A 0 0.0 2.7 3,354
  East Kilbride Alliance 0 N/A N/A 0 0.0 1.2 1,511
  Scottish Socialist 0 N/A N/A 0 0.0 0.8 966
  Scottish Unionist 0 N/A N/A 0 0.0 0.7 912
  Solidarity 0 N/A N/A 0 0.0 0.2 261
  Scottish Christian 0 N/A N/A 0 0.0 0.1 180
  Independent 3 N/A N/A 0 4.5 5.2 6,422

Council Headquarters

South Lanarkshire 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)

Small towns and villages

Places of interest

Tertiary Education

External links

Settlements in South Lanarkshire
Principal Towns (Over 10,000)
Blantyre • Cambuslang • Carluke • East Kilbride • Hamilton • Larkhall • Rutherglen
Other towns and villages
Abington • Ashgill • Auchengray • Auchenheath • Biggar • Blackwood • Bothwell • Braidwood • Carnwath • Carstairs • Cartland • Chapelton • Coalburn • Cobbinshaw • Coulter • Crawford • Crawfordjohn • Dalserf • Dolphinton • Douglas • Elsrickle • Forth • Glassford • Kilncadzow • Kirkfieldbank • Kirkmuirhill • Lanark • Law • Leadhills • Lesmahagow • Newbigging • Nerston • Pettinain • Quothquan • Ravenstruther • Rigside • Roberton • Sandford • Stonehouse • Strathaven • Symington • Tarbrax • Thankerton • Uddingston • Wiston • Woolfords • Yieldshields
Places of interest
Bothwell Castle • Battle of Bothwell Bridge • Battle of Drumclog • Cadzow Castle • Chatelherault Country Park • Clyde Valley • Craignethan Castle • David Livingstone Centre • Dollan Baths • Falls of Clyde • Little Sparta • New Lanark • Strathaven Castle
Council areas of Scotland

Aberdeen · Aberdeenshire · Angus · Argyll and Bute · Clackmannanshire · Dumfries and Galloway · Dundee · East Ayrshire · East Dunbartonshire · East Lothian · East Renfrewshire · Edinburgh · Falkirk · Fife · Glasgow · Highland · Inverclyde · Midlothian · Moray · Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) · North Ayrshire · North Lanarkshire · Orkney · Perth and Kinross · Renfrewshire · Scottish Borders · Shetland · South Ayrshire · South Lanarkshire · Stirling · West Dunbartonshire · West Lothian