FRUSTRATED campaigners claim investment in Govanhill is failing to improve the community.

The Govanhill Community Campaign, set up five years ago, said members are fed up “banging on doors” in a bid to get attention for the area.

Liz Crosbie and Frances Stojilkovic, members of the group, met with Nicola Sturgeon on Friday to share their concerns.

While they say they were pleased with the cleansing, infestation and housing concerns discussed they worry impact will be slow.

Liz said: “The meeting was really good and hopefully the strategies they are suggesting will work.

“But I see the place getting 10 times worse. They say they are trying all different strategies and putting as much as they can in.

“It’s a question of ‘Are they going to follow through on it?’ but I don’t know.”

Frances and Liz, as well as members of Crosshill and Govanhill Community Council, met with Nicola Sturgeon and local councillor Mhairi Hunter, staff from Land and Environmental Services, police and Govanhill Housing Association on Friday afternoon.

Prior to the meeting, the community group invited the Evening Times on a tour of Govanhill joined by Tory MSP Annie Wells with Iliya Shterev and Abdul Dean of the Roma Society Scotland.

Annie said she backs the Community Campaign as she has family ties to the area. She claims the solution to the issue is to help integrate the Roma community.

She said: “It’s about inclusion. If you say to people, ‘You are welcome to this country to live,’ it’s our responsibility to educate as to what is expected. For a start, there are not enough school places.”

Liz also speaks of the issues of overcrowding in the community and school places.

Of the four primary schools in Govanhill, Annette Street Primary has a capacity of 231 and a roll of 204. Cuthbertson Primary has 350 pupils and a capacity of 356.

Holy Cross Primary has 570 pupils with a capacity of 568 while St Bride’s Primary has 375 children and a capacity of 462.

Liz believes working to help ease the cleansing issues in the area will better help people feel happy to live in Govanhill.

She said:”Until people start keeping the place clean no one will integrate.

“We need some kind of workshop in Govanhill where people can go for information.

“The council say they are handing out leaflets but people can’t read so they are going to be a waste of money.”

Glasgow City Council has printed 6000 leaflets in English, Slovakian and Romanian, as well as having the information online, explaining rubbish and recycling

The SNP plans to offer suggestions for Govanhill ahead of the local council elections, including a Roma centre.

SNP councillor Mhairi said: “Frances and Liz are very constructive and work with the council and with other supports such as local elected members to try and improve things.

“I would be very careful about linking cleansing issues in Govanhill with the Roma but I do agree there are big issues around working with the Roma.

“One of the things the SNP is going to be suggesting is a Roma centre in Govanhill staffed by Roma people to help with Roma issues, help with explaining about how cleansing works and with advocacy.

“That’s not a criticism of what’s being done with the Roma currently but a Roma centre would be a place that people could go to that is very visible and accessible. That is something we believe would be very helpful.”

Councillor Soryia Siddique, Executive Member for Communities at Glasgow City Council, says the city council is active in Govanhill with the area receiving a high level of resources.

She points to the fact the area has Enhanced Enforcement Area status, some 140 below-standard flats have been bought over by Govanhill Housing Association and 1000 new wheelie bins were recently placed in the community.

She said: “To give things perspective, Govanhill is the only Enhanced Enforcement Area (EEA) in Scotland.

“The council needs to go through a very prescriptive process to gain EEA status for them to have the powers to deal with rogue landlords.

“I don’t believe the process should be prescriptive, the council should have these powers anyway, so we need Scottish Government support.

“The problem is overcrowding but the situation has improved in that 140 properties have been bought over by Govanhill Housing Association.

“Govanhill gets the biggest response, it has bespoke, unique services. There’s not a quick fix and it’s not a short term problem.

“People in Govanhill have seen better days but the solutions are about a partnership between the UK Government, the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council.”

While the Community Campaign acknowledges much is being done to improve the area, they still feel frustrated.

Liz added: “Nothing would get done without the Community Campaign. We are banging on doors, we are pushing for things. It’s not easy.

“They are never going to sort this place out without being pushed. When we push, things happen. When we stop pushing, things go back to how they were.

“At times it gets better, it cleans up but then it falls apart again.

“It seems all the agencies involved are taking a trial and error approach - throwing money until it sticks somewhere. But there’s still overcrowding and filth.

“People are keen to help and then nothing happens, they don’t seem to be able to do anything new.

“You can go and have a meeting with Nicola but the place is still manky.”