'Ignored' suburb wants to leave city

People in Robroyston want to defect to neighbouring East Dunbartonshire Council - where average council tax bills are 200 cheaper.

The residents accuse city councillors of agreeing to an explosion of private housing to meet demand, while ignoring pleas from families for basic services, such as schools and play areas.

Community campaigners are to urge the Boundary Commission to let them transfer from Glasgow to East Dunbartonshire, in a move that could cost the city millions of pounds in lost council tax.

Glasgow has the highest council tax in Scotland. The bills increased by 1.9 per cent this year to 1,163 for a band D property.

By contrast, a family living in a band-D level house in East Dunbartonshire pay just 966 - or 197 less.

East Dunbartonshire’s figure is also lower than the Scottish average council tax for band D properties of 1,010.

Robroyston is being touted as Glasgow’s fastest-growing suburb with new homes there currently being sold for more than 200,000.

The area sits next to Auchinairn Road, which marks the border between the two authorities on the north eastern edge of the city.

Carole Phillip, the secretary of the New Robroyston Residents’ Association, said they were furious the area had been "ignored".

She said: "Glasgow City Council has encouraged developers to move here with the result Robroyston has mushroomed in the past five years.

"But there are just streets and streets of houses. There is not one doctor’s or dentist’s surgery, post office or leisure centre.

"We even have to phone the council to get them to cut grass verges in summer and grit roads in winter. The area is always overlooked."

Mrs Phillips said that the association conducted a survey last year which showed that half of Robroyston residents were aged under 12.

She said: "Families moved here on the promise schools and other facilities would follow, but we have been abandoned.

"However, the council is happy to collect our expensive council tax each month while treating us like idiots.

"We have had enough, so we are asking the Boundary Commission to look into our request to move us into East Dunbartonshire."

Jack Gallagher, the chairman of the area’s residents’ association, said: "The council is dismissive about our complaints, but we are paying too much council tax to be treated as a joke.

"There are pensioners here who have no cars and who are forced to take three buses to the nearest doctor’s surgery. That is a disgrace and something must be done.

"We have been trying for two years to have a safe crossing introduced on a very busy road, but nothing has happened. Now it’s time for a change."

Bob Smith, the secretary of the Boundary Commission, said that he sympathised with the concerns raised by people in Robroyston.

He said: "There have been changes to boundaries in recent years so moving borders is not unheard of. We would be happy to investigate any case brought to our attention."

However, a spokesman for Glasgow City Council denied that Robroyston was ignored.

He said: "Council tax payers there are entitled to the same level of services as anywhere else. If there are claims of grass not being cut, I would need details and street names. What residents say is not always the reality."