Close your eyes and imagine your local town centre. What do you see? Do you envisage a busy, bustling hub of local traders and high-street names packed full of shoppers keen to spend their cash? Or do you imagine a derelict, grey shopping mall with dozens of empty units and countless closed shutters?
My guess is you are probably thinking of the latter. And as we all know, that’s the harsh truth which Scotland’s town centres are facing.
Our high streets are dying, and as grim as it sounds there is not much we can do about it. According to official figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium, overall footfall slipped by 0.9 per cent in June compared to the same period last year, and it is a downward trend that is not showing any signs of slowing down.
With that in mind, I wasn’t at all surprised when South Lanarkshire Council announced plans to demolish more than a third of East Kilbride’s town centre to make way for new homes and public spaces.
With 75 vacant units and more than 500,000 sq ft of empty floor space in the EK East Kilbride centre, the regeneration would see retail space cut by 40 per cent and empty department stores replaced with around 400 private and affordable homes, as well as a civic hub.
A public consultation on the proposals has begun – ironically with drop-ins at a shop within the town centre – and on a website which launched last week, with councillors keen to hear the thoughts of locals.
On the surface the move spells disaster for the high street, but it is hard to argue with the reasoning behind it.
Mark Hewitt – director of Scoop, which manages the shopping centre’s assets – put it perfectly. He said the EK masterplan has been created in response to the “unprecedented economic challenges” facing towns and city centres across the country, and insisted the transformation will “pave the way for future investment for the town in the coming years.”
He’s not wrong. I can’t think of one major retailer that would want to set up shop in a half-empty retail centre, let alone one that is decades old. A new lease of life in East Kilbride will surely attract the big players that can have a real impact on the local economy, as well as small hospitality and retail businesses that thrive in communities.
What’s more, the multi-million-pound shopping complex will undoubtedly be costing an arm and a leg to run. The retail centre is about twice the size of the likes of Silverburn and The Fort in Glasgow, so it makes sense to scrap what’s not working and try a new approach.
I’m interested to see how this will pave the way for the transformation of other towns and city centres across Scotland. There is already something similar going on in Falkirk, where councillors have announced plans to knock down the almost empty Callendar Square shopping centre and replace it with a brand-new town hall to help kick-start the wider regeneration of the area.
The response to that decision has been relatively fair too, with Conservative group leader James Kerr acknowledging that while the move isn’t a “silver bullet” for Falkirk high street, it is a significant step forward in the right direction.
With bold, ambitious plans such as these, it is important to remember the bigger picture and the overall goal that is trying to be achieved. Our economy still needs to function, and if that means throwing millions – if not billions – of pounds behind regenerating our town centres and turning them into attractive places to live and work, then I’m all for it.
Perhaps naively, I still envisage a Scotland that does have bustling town centres and streets packed full of shoppers keen to put their money back into the local economy. The high street is a commodity we need to do our best to protect in the face of so many variables around it. It is a tough job, but it’s bold plans like those of South Lanarkshire and Falkirk Council’s which will help get us back on the road to success.
Cinema on the brink: Screen Machine stalls
Cinema has played an important role in Scotland’s cultural and economic landscape for generations. For example, Glasgow had the most cinemas, 127 in total, compared to any city of its size outside the United States.
Across the country, the film industry contributes significantly to Scotland’s economy. It generates income through film production, drives tourism through locations featured in movies, while events such as the Edinburgh International Film Festival attract worldwide visitors and boost local businesses.
The impact cinema has played on our heritage is clear, however, after 25 years of enchanting rural communities across the highlands and islands, a beloved mobile cinema, The Screen Machine, is on the brink of closure.
The purpose-built vehicle, which brings films to those who can’t easily access the silver screen, is currently incapacitated due to breakdowns. And, while a temporary replacement has been secured until early next year, there’s a glaring absence of funding to ensure the service’s continuity beyond that point.
With Regional Screen Scotland, the service operator, estimating the cost of a new mobile cinema at £1.4 million, and an 18-month construction timeline, the curtain may finally go down on The Screen Machine, unless funding can be found.
With cinema in Scotland contributing such cultural richness, economic vitality, tourism and nurturing creative talent, it seems remiss that the Scottish Government could preside over the demise of a much-needed service.
Here’s hoping The Screen Machine may hit the road once again, to inspire future generations and continue our love affair with the flicks.
It Made Me Laugh
Montrose FC fans go the distance
I tip my hat to football fans within the lower leagues. They support their local teams through thick and thin.
As these clubs are an integral part of the local community, the connection between teams and their fans is second to none. That’s why it was great to see a dad and his schoolboy son, who not only trekked seven hours to see their footy team in action, but were the only away fans, recognised for their dedication.
Montrose fans, Andy Davidson and son Finley made the 364-mile round trip to see their heroes, and in a show of appreciation have been invited into the dressing room to meet manager Stewart Petrie and the players.
It’s a small gesture, but garners further support for the club. Businesses should take note.
It Made Me Weep
Stirling businesses left underwater
While a Portuguese town saw two million litres of red wine flood its streets due to an accident at the local distillery, closer to home, businesses on Stirling’s King Street battled flash floods as storms caused chaos last week.
We are used to the elements playing havoc, however the King Cons bar, who had to evacuate punters as staff fought to keep the flood out of its premises, are blaming the local council for introducing new traffic calming measures which has exacerbated flooding within the area.
With the bar coming into a busy period with the start of Freshers Week, I hope they can fix the damage quickly and the council reviews the city’s infrastructure to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
