Southpark Village
Southpark Village is an estate of private houses in the Scottish city of Glasgow, built during the mid-1990s. It is an example of how larger cities in the UK are starting to push into the city's boundaries. Most homes in the area are occupied by private owners who are within working class or lower/medium-middle class income brackets. The district is conveniently located for commuting to work by car via the M77 motorway and is also fairly close to suburban railway stations (Nitshill and Priesthill & Darnley). Like much of Glasgow since the mid-20th Century, the area is ethnically diverse. Southpark falls under the council tax bracket of Glasgow City Council.
The area has many communal landscaped areas that are maintained through financial contributions by the residents of the estate.
History
The entire area was once owned by Lord Darnley, who ran linen works in the area. The remains of a large house can be found a few miles south of the village, and this appears to have belonged to Lord Darnley himself.
In later years the surrounding area was successfully and extensively mined for coal; During the late stages of the life of the mine, a catastrophic explosion occurred killing many local miners. A monument to those lost in the disaster currently sits on Nitshill Road, just North West of Southpark Village.
The consequences of this disaster and the subsequent abandonment of the mine have been felt as recently as the late 90s when a mine shaft collapsed in an area near the estate, leading to a massive land fill operation which successfully prevented the land around the shaft from collapsing any further.
Surrounding areas
In recent years modern housing similar to those found in Southpark was built in the neighbouring area of Darnley, and to a great extent has improved upon the living standards and associated social problems of the older housing schemes previously located there (almost all of which have been demolished). It is a similar story in South Nitshill to the west of Southpark where small houses have almost entirely replaced tenements.
Coordinates: 55°48′10″N 4°20′50″W / 55.80278°N 4.34722°W