Labour hope to maintain control of council dominated by market towns and urban sprawl
GEOGRAPHICALLY one of the most varied local authorities in Scotland, it takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen and Cambuslang on the edge of Glasgow.
Another Labour bastion where the party's dominance is unlikely to be broken by the new voting system.
Of concern locally is the effect of neighbouring North Lanarkshire's plan to transform the former Ravenscraig steelworks site into a new town complete with shopping centre, school, parks, homes, a new railway station and a college campus site. South Lanarkshire fears the development will result in a 20% decline in shop sales in its principal town, Hamilton.
