RESIDENTS who feared their town would be on "lock-down" during a key Commonwealth Games event have welcomed a move to limit the disruption.
Locals in Auchinloch in North Lanarkshire were initially told they would be unable to go in or out of the village during the Cycling Time Trial on July 31, but organisers have now agreed to put a temporary traffic light system in place to allow access.
As revealed last month, concerns had also been raised about care workers gaining access to those in need, but North Lanarkshire Council - which is responsible for organising the event - has also confirmed a social work team will be put in place at the local school.
The moves have been welcomed by resident Deborah Bryson, 42, who previously described the lock-down as "shocking".
She said: "A lot of people were really unhappy about not being able to leave the village after 7am and not being allowed to return until late at night. And it appears the authorities have actually listened to us. They've buckled under community opinion and we're now allowed in and out, which is fantastic. For such a small community, we've managed to get our voices heard.
"We also had concerns about care workers getting in and out the village and now we've been told that there will be a care team in place at the school to ensure everyone in need of care gets it."
Ms Bryson had also claimed that villagers received no notice of a meeting last month to tell them about the plans, but said a meeting last night was well publicised throughout the town.
However, as Auchinloch welcomes the amendments, other North Lanarkshire villages continue to face major disruptions during the race.
Chryston, Moodiesburn, Muirhead, Millerston and Stepps will continue to be under lock-down on July 31 as organisers have found no way to make the same concessions Auchinloch has seen.
A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: "There will be a temporary traffic light system in place at the north end of Langmuirhead Road in Auchinloch which will allow villagers in and out. From there they will be able to access Stepps Road and then the M80.
"The council always listens to its residents and we have been working really hard to find a solution here. However, we have only been able to do this for this particular village. In Chryston and Stepps and others there's no way this can be done, the route just doesn't allow for it.
"I would urge residents in the other villages to attend their local drop-in sessions to find out what their options are."
The spokesman added that the council always planned to place social care workers within the local primary school to ensure provision for those in need.
A Glasgow 2014 spokeswoman said: "Finalising the route for the Cycling Time Trial involved a number of complexities. We're delighted to have worked with North Lanarkshire Council and the International Federation to come up with a solution which minimises disruption to local residents."
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