Bob Doris, Scottish National Party MSP, is lending his support to a bid to get funding for Maryhill from the recently created Town Centre Regeneration Fund. The Scottish Government will soon be allocating some of the £60 million it has set aside to help rebuild run-down town centre areas. Mr Doris has today spoken in Parliament about the compelling case for Maryhill to receive a share of the cash.

Mr Doris said: "People from Maryhill, like many other communities in Glasgow, face the situation of being served by the high end shops of the city centre or the out of town retail parks. This often leaves some of the most vulnerable in the community with a poor range of local services. The Town Centre Regeneration Fund is designed to address the problems associated with communities that have become rundown and forgotten in the modern age."

Mr Doris has been supportive of the fund since the idea was first mooted. In Parliament today he outlined the Maryhill Burgh Hall Project and spoke of the enthusiasm for regeneration in the local community: "The regeneration of Maryhill is long overdue and there is real excitement around the redevelopment of the Burgh Hall. This is precisely the kind of project the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund should support, ensuring the project goes full steam ahead and benefits the whole community.

"In conjunction with wider regeneration activity the revamped Burgh Hall will not only enhance the quality of life for locals but also keep them in the area and support the local economy."

Mr Doris added that he would be pushing for a bid for Possilpark in the second round of bids. He commented: "With an exciting new health centre to be located in Possilpark, there is a real opportunity for the wider town centre area to be transformed."