THIRTY years before the M77 protesters were chaining themselves to the

Pollok trees the New Glasgow Society was expressing its concern at the

effect upon the city of a #485m, 285-mile motorway plan for Glasgow.

Today, with only one-tenth of that plan completed, the society is

still pressing for an alternative integrated public-transport system.

Almost forgotten are past battles to restore tenements, modernise the

subway, stoneclean buildings, stop a downstream oil refinery, or save

Great Western Road from a six-lane expressway.

Needless to say, derision greeted such ideas as city tourist and

public relations units, riverside walkways, pedestrian streets, and an

exhibition centre for the redundant Queen's Dock. Today they all feature

prominently in Glasgow's promotional material.

Next week (April 23-30) the New Glasgow Society celebrates 30 years of

successes -- and failures -- with a series of events ranging from the

inaugural Victorian Walk to a Glasgow film night and a civic reception

culminating in a ''Winners-and-Losers'' bus tour of 38 past campaigns.

However this week the society has objected to the demolition of eight

listed buildings for the proposed #200m M74 extension into the city, and

is asking Parliament to intervene in the controversial CrossRail scheme

which plans to resite its stations at High Street and Glasgow Cross

further away from busy traffic areas.

The 30-year-old fight ''to encourage high standards of architecture

and town planning in the Glasgow region'' continues.

Alistair Fyfe,

Chairman,

New Glasgow Society,

1307 Argyle Street,

Glasgow.