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Chamber and committees

Restoration of Overtoun Park Bandstand

  • Submitted by: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2026
  • Motion type: Standard Motion
  • Motion reference: S7M-01847

That the Parliament celebrates the official unveiling of the restored Category B-listed Overtoun Park bandstand in Rutherglen on 31 October 2026, following severe damage in a fire in June 2024, which Police Scotland treated as a deliberate act; acknowledges the rich heritage of the bandstand, which was originally erected in 1914, featured at the Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988 and has historically served as a cherished focal point for local memories and events, including Landemer Day; welcomes the £300,000 funding commitment by South Lanarkshire Council that ensured that the damaged structure was preserved and repaired; commends the expert craftsmanship of heritage restoration specialists Covanburn Contracts, working alongside David McGregor of McGregor Patterns and Laings Foundry, who meticulously recreated missing cast-iron elements and pattern moulds; notes that the design research drew upon archival photographs, Glasgow City Archives, East Dunbartonshire Archives and Historic Scotland’s 2009 publication, MacFarlane’s Castings, to match structural details against historical catalogues from Glasgow's renowned Saracen Foundry in Possilpark, the original manufacturer of the bandstand; welcomes the installation of a new octagonal base mosaic created in collaboration with pupils from Stonelaw High School, which incorporates Rutherglen’s town motto, Ex fumo fama ("fame from smoke"), and marks the town's 900th anniversary as a Royal Burgh, a status originally granted by King David I in 1126; recognises what it sees as the vital advocacy of local charity Grow73 and the deep emotional connection of the local community to the historic structure, and congratulates all involved in preserving this cherished historic landmark for future generations to enjoy.