Woodlands, Falkirk

Woodlands is a large, prosperous central area (ward) of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, which is mainly residential. Much of the ward is taken up by leafy streets where property prices are among the highest in Central Scotland (with several houses selling at over £800,000) and includes Lochgreen, Slamannan, Rosebank, Gartcows and Southern Pleasance areas (excluding property in Pleasance Gardens and Pleasance Court). Many of the Victorian and Edwardian houses were built by wealthy industrialists who had profited from Falkirk's economic prosperity during the industrial revolution, often without regard to expense.

A large home in Woodlands, Falkirk

The area is close to the town centre - the shopping centre and high street are not within Woodlands, however, as the limit of the ward area is the nearby Scout Hall - and incorporates the Dollar Park, given to the town by Falkirk-born billionaire Robert Dollar, who is recorded as the 80th richest man ever to live. Dollar Park is situated on Camelon Road, one of the busiest roads in Scotland. Both the Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk and the Chief Executive of Falkirk Council live in Woodlands. The area is staunchly Conservative (an anomaly in staunchly Labour Falkirk), and three of the Conservative candidates for the 2007 local elections were from Gartcows, two from the same street, Gartcows Crescent.

Local schools include Comely Park School, with high competition for places, founded in 1878, and Bantaskine Primary School, situated near the Bantaskine Estate. Secondary schools include St. Mungo's Roman Catholic High School. However, many families educate their children privately at Edinburgh public schools or at Dollar Academy.

Falkirk Lawn Tennis Club, founded in 1891, is situated within the area, as is Falkirk Bowling Club, founded in 1838.

The local public house situated on High Station Road is the famous Woodside Inn.

Most of Woodlands is in the Parish of St. Andrew's West Church, and some is also in the Parishes of Falkirk Old and St. Modan's, and Erskine Parish Church. Some also attend Roman Catholic church, St. Francis' Xaviers.

Economy

In the 2006 Scottish Index of Deprivation (compiled by the Scottish Executive) a particular part of Woodlands was ranked 11th highest out of 6500 areas in Scotland in terms of income.

According to the 2001 Census, 35% of residents are of Social Class A/B (compared to 17% in Falkirk), with only 15% receiving benefits. 33% of residents hold a First or other professional degree (compared to 14% in Falkirk) and 42% of housing is detached (compared to 17% in Falkirk). 86% of housing is owner occupied (compared to 60% in Falkirk), while only 10% is council housing (compared to 33% in Falkirk).

Politics

The ward is one of only two Conservative-held wards in Falkirk Council, and has only ever been Conservative. Indeed, in 1996, at a time when the Conservatives were at only 11% in national opinion polls, the Conservative Party increased their vote by 12% to 55% in Woodlands. In the 2003 elections, the Conservative Party received 49%, more than double the next best candidate, Labour. Nevertheless the Conservative majority in Woodlands has fallen from 36% in 1992 to 25% in 2003. Only Polmont had a higher Conservative vote in Falkirk in 2003, with 65%, a majority of 45%.

Falkirk's two Conservatives controlled Falkirk as part of an SNP-led coalition until 2007, when the council was re-taken by Labour on a cut of cards as the SNP and Labour had won an equal number of seats.

However, in the 2007 local elections Woodlands was grouped with five other surrounding wards to form a larger Falkirk South ward, with several Councillors. This resulted in the election of four councillors: two Labour, one Scottish National Party (SNP) and one Conservative. The extrapolated result for Woodlands alone is very likely to have been Conservative hold, with 500 more votes in 2007 than in 2003.

2007 Council election: Falkirk South
Party Candidate 1st Pref % Seat Count
Labour Gerry Goldie 2528 1 1
SNP Georgie Thomson 2192 2 1
Conservative John Patrick 1482 3 2
Labour Joe Lemetti 853 4 2
Independent Ronald Buchanan 390
Scottish Socialist Mark Straub 127
2003 Council election: Woodlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Patrick 1,007 48.4 +8.0
Labour Elizabeth Reap 489 23.5 -4.4
SNP Joe Bruce 414 19.9 -2.5
Liberal Democrats Torben Bjarke Ballinn 169 8.1 -1.2
Majority 518 24.9 +12.4
Turnout 56.6 -12.2
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1999 Council election: Woodlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Patrick 989 40.4 -14.5
Labour Derek J Sharkey 682 27.9 -0.1
SNP John B Reid 549 22.4 +7.8
Liberal Democrats Andrew I Smith 227 9.3 +6.8
Majority 307 12.5 -14.4
Turnout 3556 68.8
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1996 Ward By-election: Woodlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Thomson 604 54.9 +11.4
Labour Joe Lemetti 308 28 -4.3
SNP Alexander Forsyth 161 14.6 -9.6
Liberal Democrats 27 2.5 +2.5
Majority 296 26.9 +15.7
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1995 Council election: Woodlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Thomson 526 43.5 -13.5
Labour Joe Lemetti 391 32.3 +12.1
SNP Alexander Forsyth 293 24.2 +5.9
Majority 135 11.2 +11.2
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing N/A
1992 Council election: Woodlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Thomson 803 56.6
Labour 287 20.2
SNP 260 18.3
Liberal Democrats 68 4.8
Majority 516 36.4
Turnout 1418
Conservative hold Swing N/A

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