Vision of Falkirk's future set out in town centre masterplan event

The leader of Falkirk Council, Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, said she was delighted with the response to the masterplan exhibition, held in Falkirk Trinity Church, which was busy from the moment the doors opened last Thursday. She stressed that what people were seeing was “a concept” of what the town centre could look like, with a careful balance of retail, leisure, housing and public space.

The council has been working with Threesixty Architecture, which has a track record of working with other local authorities to help kickstart regeneration.

Last week they set out some of the ideas they hope will become a blueprint to create a vibrant, welcoming place businesses will want to invest in. The team behind the exhibition are realistic about the challenges Falkirk faces.

Large retail units, such as the former Marks & Spencer store on Falkirk High Street, have been empty for years. The west end of the town has an ugly large block of 1960s buildings with lots of vacant units. In the east end, the bus station lies unused while anti-social behaviour has become an increasing problem.

Gina Colley, the architect who has been leading the project, says her team began in Falkirk using the same methods they successfully developed in Paisley. For the past six months, the Threesixty team have been talking to individuals, community groups and businesses, considering all the town centre users and asking what would make them spend more time there. In particular, they want to make sure that young people are on board.

They are using 18 points, piloted in Paisley and adopted by the Scottish Government to support councils across the country. Bringing more people to live in town centres, adding more culture, making them more accessible and creating attractive green spaces are all key. Providing welfare facilities, such as accessible. toilets, will also be vital and they also say bringing essential services such as healthcare and education into the town would be welcomed by many. Getting a blend of access for cars, active travel and public transport is also crucial, as is a thriving night-life so there are no ‘dead spaces’. Gina said: “Of course, it’s always changing and we’re learning and adapting but there’s a structured approach to quite a complex task.”

While many challenges are shared by other towns, Falkirk does have unique circumstances, with a retail park that is so close to the town centre and two shopping centres.

Michael McGuinness, Falkirk Council’s head of growth, planning and climate change, says there are lots of pieces of the jigsaw that need to be put in place. But he believes having a blueprint is an important “stake in the ground” that will help Falkirk attract the investment it needs to make the vision a reality. He said: “It’s about setting our stall out and saying ‘here’s what we aspire to – here’s what we believe this town could look like in the future.”

One of the recommendations is to create new cultural attractions that will bring people into the town. The council firmly believes the new town hall – which will be built on site of Callendar Square – will be the catalyst that will really kickstart start a major transformation. It will not only bring people into the town but also help to ‘shrink’ the retail space that is no longer needed.

Also vital to any success is allowing Falkirk to tell its own story. And that means making the most of its history as a proud market town in an area that led the way in the industrial revolution. The Steeple, now a heritage centre, and Trinity Church – the historic Faw Kirk itself – are important pieces of the jigsaw.

Mr McGuinness said: “It’s important to preserve that amazing architecture for the future. It can’t just be new development for the sake of new development – it’s got to be in sync with our heritage and the development has to be appropriate.”

The idea of a masterplan was first proposed when Marks & Spencer – the lynch-pin of high street shopping – closed its town centre doors for good. A number of partners – including local businesses and developers – came together with Falkirk Council to create the Falkirk town centre action plan. Ongoing projects include the public realm work now being done in Newmarket Street. There has also been a conscious move to encourage more people to live in the town centre.

Another major project on the horizon is the transport interchange at Grahamston railway station. The aim is for the new travel hub to have active travel links with all of Falkirk’s attractions, including the Helix, Callendar Park, and the town centre.

Kevin Collins, transport planning co-ordinator, says that town centre project will link into lots of others that are ongoing, such as the Scottish Canals art park which is part of the area’s Growth Deal. The event, he said, gave them a chance to explain to people about the ideas being developed.

He said: “People were very positive about it because they can see that there is action being taken. In the past, we have paid a lot of lip service to active travel but I think that people can now see projects coming forward that are actually going to deliver those aspirations.”

Overall, those attending were impressed with the vision on offer and are looking forward to seeing the results.

Sylvia and Sandy McPhee, from Polmont, said: “Something has to be done to stop the decline in the town. We need to take pride in our town centre. The proposals are impressive, and the regeneration is not just about shops.”

The council is promising more events as things develop and the final masterplan will be presented to councillors later this year.