COUNCILLOR Gordon Matheson's criticism of North Lanarkshire as a venue for a potential new Scottish film studio surprises me ("Glasgow council leader attacks Hyslop over film studio proposals", The Herald, February 17).
While the decision is yet to be taken, Cumbernauld is an ideal location for such a studio. Councillor Matheson seems to suggest that only Glasgow has the talented and skilled workforce to make such an enterprise work, and that location is all-important.
North Lanarkshire does, of course, have an extremely talented and skilled workforce. I would imagine its location is much more suited to a national studio given that it is close to both Glasgow and Edinburgh and their airports, and that we have none of the travel difficulties associated with getting around a city.
Furthermore, in terms of experience, Cumbernauld is host to the hugely successful Outlander series, filmed for Sony Television. So we have the perfect blend of location, skills, experience and infrastructure to support a major film studio. I hope that is recognised in due course when an announcement is made.
If Cumbernauld is indeed successful, I would expect Glasgow would derive some spin-off benefits from having such a major initiative hosted just 15 miles away.
Councillor James McCabe,
Leader, North Lanarkshire Council.
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell.
THE Labour leader of Glasgow City Council, Gordon Matheson, regularly states that Glasgow has more in common with English cities such as Liverpool and Newcastle than it has with the rest of Scotland. He clearly views the people of Cumbernauld "some 15 miles away" as outsiders.
Cumbernauld, one of Scotland's largest towns, is ideally placed for a film studio.
On the M80, it is central to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling and has, in addition, Cumbernauld Airport. The parochial Councillor Gordon Matheson, Labour leader of Glasgow City Council, should note that we are just 20 minutes from Glasgow by bus.
There is no time to lose. Scotland has already lost out over the lucrative Game of Thrones project, with Northern Ireland emerging as the UK's biggest film centre outside of London.
Glasgow is set to get the bulk of the £1 billion of investment funded jointly by the Scottish and UK governments under the Glasgow Clyde Valley City Deal. East Dunbartonshire Council refused to join this scheme precisely because it is Glasgow and Clyde Valley-centred. Cumbernauld, for the same peripheral geographic reasons, could also lose out under this project. A film studio would be just and welcome compensation.
Councillor Tom Johnston (SNP),
Depute Leader of Minority Group, North Lanarkshire Council,
5 Burn View, Cumbernauld.
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