Town Centres Regeneration Fund

Business for Dumbarton supports West Dunbartonshire Council’s bid for a share of the £62 million being made available for town centre redevelopment by the Scottish government.

The criterea for bids is very strict and is based on a very short time scale so whilst the items below would not have been our first choice for investment we recognise that the money has to be used for capital projects and has to be within the other guidelines.

There will be applications made for four town centres (Alexandria, Balloch, Clydebank and Dumbarton)

The items below are the ones which relate to Dumbarton.

Dumbarton Projects:

1. Purchase of area of land owned by Carvill which covers proposed boatlift area for Lomond Canal

2.      Creation of a car park to the north of the Bingo Hall to assist Jermon with developing the Artizan Centre,

3.      Extension to car park at St Patrick’s Church, infill of Strathleven Place underpass, pedestrian crossings on Strathleven Place and Church Street to link to Railway Station

4.      Signalising of Strathleven Place roundabout (dependent on outcome of traffic modelling study which would require to be commissioned firstly) and widening of Glasgow Road to accommodate island crossing.

5.      Improved pedestrian environment along A814 between St James Retail Park and the town centre, Church St roundabout and along Castle Street.

6.      Purchase of Akram site to extend existing car park

7.      Purchase of Blair and Bryden Property to facilitate creation of new street as per masterplan

8.      New street/amenity lighting to Dumbarton Quayside

9.      New tourism finger post signs in Dumbarton town centre and hereitage trail

10.     Provision of additional 6 additional disabled bays in Riverside Lane

11.     Provision of short term parking on Riverside Lane, Risk Street and Castle Street where possible (TRO required)

12.     Improve appearance of Castle Street car park (check Station Rd completed)

13.     Encourage introduction of CCTV network – funding for infrastructure.

14.     Signage to car parks.

Regeneration

I will be meeting with Council Officials soon to discuss a bid for a share of the £62 million being provided by the Scottish Government.

I think that The Business for Dumbarton Action Plan should form the basis of the application.

When Being Proved Right is Bitter Sweet

I have a shop in Dumbarton. I have traded there for twenty four years, the last seventeen of which have been from the town’s High Street.

When I initially took a shop there there was 100% occupancy of shops.

There were butchers, fishmongers, fruit shops, gift shops, electrical stores, general stores etc.

In 1993 when I’d been in the High Street for a year, the council closed the street off to traffic for about six weeks in order to make repairs to a bridge.

I immediately lost 35% of my trade.

Thankfully at the completion of works things returned pretty much to normal.

Then West Dunbartonshire Council came up with the idea of pedestrianising the place.

I opposed this proposal with every fibre. Not only did I know that this measure would be a disaster for my business and of the other businesses there, I also knew it would be a disaster for the town.

However the cooncil in their wisdom were determined. Exhibitions were held in Dumbarton festooned with photos of Paisley which had just been pedestrianised. They clearly saw Paisley as best practice in the field. They only just stopped short of claiming that it was the eighth wonder of the world.

Here is a quote from a Scotland Office document from 1999

Ruining Towns a Speciality

“A £3.7 million Paisley Town Centre Regeneration Project was today given the seal of approval by First Minister Donald Dewar and Scottish Secretary John Reid. To mark the successful completion of Phase 2 of the pedestrianisation scheme Mr Dewar and Mr Reid jointly laid a commemorative plaque in Gilmour Street.

Speaking during the visit Mr Dewar said:

“I am delighted to be in Paisley today to celebrate the successful completion of Paisley’s £3.7 million pedestrianisation scheme. The renewal of County Square and Gilmour Street has transformed the heart of the town. Paisley should rightly be proud of the efforts to make its centre more accessible, improve the environment and stimulate new development.

“Partnership projects can make a real difference. The commitment and dedication of the key sponsors involved in the Paisley Regeneration Project have helped the town become a revitalised place in which to live, work, visit and invest. The Government will continue to do everything it can to assist.”

Full article
HERE

I contacted the Traders in Paisley. It is fair to say that their version of events was somewhat different to Messrs. Dewar and Reid.

Their representative John Murphy who owned a stationers in Paisley which had been there for a century told me that the changes in Paisley were akin to a bomb being dropped on the place.

The Paisley traders were already campaigning for the pedestrianisation works and traffic limitations to be reversed.

I relayed this information to West Dunbartonshire Council. I relayed the result of my consultations with retailers in Dunoon, Airdrie, Bathgate, Kirkcaldy, Fort William, Dumfries and other places, many in England where pedestrianisation/traffic management had killed small to medium sized towns.

Towns like Dumbarton.

The Council wouldn’t listen.

The Council Officials wouldn’t listen.

The Town Centre Manager wouldn’t listen.

The Trader’s representative wouldn’t listen.

It looked like the town was finished.

The town was finished.

In 2005 the traffic management scheme in Dumbarton was implemented. This according to the council was the jewel in the crown of an action plan published in 2000 that promised to “regenerate and revitalise the town within five years”.

Here is my sardonic presentation of what actually happened.

In 2007 Paisley lifted the traffic ban in two streets.

Dumbarton’s Traffic Management scheme fell soon afterwards.

However we are left with narrow streets and unfeasibly wide pavements.

Most of the shops have closed.

Meanwhile in Paisley (taken from This BBC news article yesterday )

The leader of Renfrewshire Council, Councillor Derek Mackay, said: “When pedestrianisation was delivered in the town a lot of people felt it went too far and was over restrictive.

“We want to bring people back into the heart of the town.

“By giving better access we can help showcase what Paisley has to offer and generate more activity and life in the town centre, particularly at night.”

The council insisted the move would not be an expensive one.

Mr Mackay added: “The current lay out of the High Street is very attractive and amenable to car access which would mean, with a fairly limited budget, we could bring cars back in on a shared basis with pedestrians.”

Roughly translated this reads.

“We are reversing the disastrous pedestrianisation scheme that nobody wanted”

“If we had listened to the traders and townspeople in the nineties instead of shelling out money to consultants, we might have saved millions of pounds and still had a town centre”

John Murphy’s shop, like many others didn’t survive.

Dumbarton has the highest rate of unoccupied shops in Scotland.

Footnote: I should point out that my criticism of West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire Councils relate to the administrations at the time the traffic decisions were taken. The current administration in West Dunbartonshire has supported us in two crucial decisions in recent months and we appreciate that support.

Dumbarton Town Centre in the News

And for the wrong reasons.

Last week the Sun carried an article on a report by consultants Experian on Scotland’s Ghost Towns. Dumbarton was listed along with Ardrossan as having the highest percentage of empty shops in its town centre.

Of the ‘top’ five towns Paisley and Airdrie, both fellow victims of failed traffic management initiatives were featured, as was Cumbernauld (which has a built-in failed traffic management scheme).

I wonder how much money has been wasted on consultant’s reports in these towns over the years? In Dumbarton “Re-discovering Dumbarton” the Action Plan which arose from a report by consultants EDAW has served only to exacerbate the problems and challenges faced by all traditional town centres.

It is glaringly obvious where Dumbarton town centre’s problems lie. Amongst the most relevant are:

1) Demographic Profile.
2) Lack of adequate convenient parking and legacy of failed traffic scheme (what ARE those acres of pavement for?)
3) Inadequate security, safety & street lighting.
4) Hopelessly inadequate public toilets.
5) Crumbling infrastructure.
6) Rent and rates which are too high.

If a team of consultants were appointed to look at it however we’d all be blinded and baffled by terms like retail offer, footfall, signage, public realm, pedestrian/vehicle conflict etc. etc. It’s all nonsense and our town centre stands as proof of that.

The “retail offer” is poor because the conditions for it are poor.

You don’t get a good crop from bad soil.

Create the conditions for business to flourish and it surely will. This requires action by government national and local and by landlords too.

Meeting

Business for Dumbarton will meet on 21st April at 6pm Aunties Tea Room next to the Co-op. All members welcome.

Planners fear £60m drive to rescue dying town centres will not succeed

From today’s Sunday Mail. Airdrie’s problems (and the reasons for them) and Dumbarton’s are eerily similar.

Feb 8 2009 By Mark Aitken Political Editor

EXPERTS yesterday warned a £60million facelift is not enough to save Scotland’s embattled town centres.

They branded the Scottish Government blueprint “High Street Botox” – offering only short-lived cosmetic improvements.

Faced with competition from supermarkets and out-of-town malls, as well as high business rates, local shops have gone bust.

Pedestrianisation, high parking charges and disastrous traffic management systems have also taken their toll on high streets.

Measures include better parking and improved shop fronts.

We took urban planner Willie Miller to Airdrie where – like scores of others across the country – once-thriving shopping streets are under siege.

He said: “I don’t think this is the time for High Street Botox – where three months on, everything looks terrible again.

“There needs to be much less top-down action and more community-based initiatives to produce long lasting stability.

“We need a fundamental look at the whole function of the town centre, accepting that it is likely to contract rather than expand.

“That should emerge working with local residents and businesses rather than imposing new ideas that are not rooted in the town. It might involve less shopping, more residential or better access for cars, removing pedestrianisation, or reworking parking restrictions.

“But it has to come from the community.”

Airdrie town centre once had a department store, a twice-weekly market and a football ground at the heart of the community.

Now many Victorian buildings in the main streets lie empty, the market is gone and businesses say they are dying on their feet.

Airdrieonians have gone, reborn as Airdrie United but in a new stadium on the outskirts of the town.

Family-run department store Orrs of Airdrie shut in December 2007, months before it was due to celebrate 150 years on the high street. It spanned six generations and – along with demolished football ground Broomfield Park – was the centre of the community.

Miller says initiatives intended to improve the town in the ’60s and ’70s were the start of the rot.

Part of Airdrie’s main street was pedestrianised to make it more shopper-friendly but businesses claimit has discouraged motorists from stopping in the town.

Miller said: “They were talking about parking, a relief road, pedestrianisation schemes as well as clearance of old properties to create new development opportunities.

“All these initiatives represented ‘best practice’ in planning at the time and were copybook proposals from government advice notes.

“They no doubt contributed to the current crisis.

“Various schemes have been proposed over the years but almost all have failed. Ironically, some of these include the sort of measures the government are proposing now to try to reverse decline.

“The critical thing for Airdrie is that its centre has moved progressively east from the original core area since the 1970s in attempts to improve the shopping on offer.

“Now the old centre has no real anchor point and seems to be in freefall with older traditional stores and cafes closing.

“The lesson is that planners mess around with traditional towns at their peril.”

Keith Kintrea, senior lecturer in urban studies at Glasgow University, suggested specialist shops could help revive towns like Airdrie.

He said: “Traditional high streets are in decline, with the problem exacerbated by well-publicised shop closures. Town centres developed around the idea of housewives who would go shopping on a daily basis. That just doesn’t happen any more.

“It is a very significant challenge to revitalise such places unless they can find some specialist niche.

“Investment into improving rundown properties and gap sites does make town centres more attractive and attracts shops and shoppers.

“But whether that is enough to fundamentally change their dynamics is another question.”

Airdrie and Shotts MSP Karen Whitefield said: “North Lanarkshire Council have done much to improve the physical appearance of the town centre. However, it is clear much more needs to be done.

“It would be worth considering employing a town centre champion, whose role would be to help bring in businesses and events.”

Pat Kelly, the council’s head of planning and development, said: “The council has invested millions of pounds in our town centres, improving roads and paths, landscaping and street furniture.

“A further £30million is committed.”

AIRDRIE’S SOS… SAVE OUR SHOPS

ANNE LAVITT, 46

Walmsley’s furniture store boss

THERE is nothing worse than To Let or For Sale signs on every corner. It is heartbreaking to see the town get further down each week. We must reduce rates to bring in more shops and tempt shoppers back.

THOMAS MCGLYNN, 46

Manager of butchers Hugh Black & Sons

THIRTY years ago, Airdrie had everything you needed. Now it’s mainly takeaways and charity shops. There is no buzz anymore. People get on the M8 and drive to a retail park.

LOUISE ALEXANDER, 47

Owner of Workshop hair salon (and sister of Elaine C Smith)

THE town was bustling when we opened 16 years ago but there is very little to entice people now. We need more free parking spaces and lower rents to attract good shops.

MARTIN HARRIS, 57

Owner of clothes shop Mister H

AIRDRIE was a thriving market town when we opened 30 years ago but it is losing out to the out-of-town centres. Regeneration will make it more attractive but I don’t know if it is enough to bring people back.

KEVIN FOTHERINGHAM, 40

Owner of Fresh Fruit & Veg

THE rates are too high. I pay £8500 a year yet the council does not even take bins away. Some retail parks offer rate-free rent. We need to a big firms, such as Mark & Spencer and Argos, to move into the town.

The Argylls

This film of the recent Argylls parade in Dumbarton comes courtesy of local man Tommy Crockett.

Happy New Year To All.

Despite these desperate times for business of all shapes and sizes it is essential we retain a sense of humour. This cartoon from Brian Petrie in yesterday’s Sun I think hits the spot.

Happy New Year Everyone!

High Street Closed this Thursday 11th

All business owners, employees, customers and shoppers please note:

Dumbarton High Street will be closed this Thursday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. This is due to a parade by the Argylls who have returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Some Councillors STILL in Denial

The following motion was proposed by Councillor Geoff Calvert at Wednesday’s meeting. Thankfully it was defeated 6-3. I have responded below via a press release

Motion to Housing, Environment and Economic Development Committee
>
> – 3 December 08
>
> Agenda Item 9 – Dumbarton Town Centre – Traffic Management and Parking
>
>
> This Committee notes the opinions of MVA Consultancy in that it does not
> believe that traffic management and parking are factors adversely
> affecting
> the performance of the retail operations in the town centre and that there
> are many other factors.
>
> Furthermore, this Committee notes that MVA has concluded that the detailed
> proposals from Business in Dumbarton are neither desirable nor possible
> and
> that the proposed changes to bus operations they suggest, would be
> contrary
> to the Scottish Government’s national transport policy.
>
> On a more positive note, MVA states that, in line with the potential
> success of Markets within other town centres, there is potential for a
> Market in Dumbarton. At a local level, Clydebank is a fine example of how
> a
> market can bring benefit to businesses within the local retail sector.
>
> This Committee believes that the stimulus a Market would bring to the
> vibrancy of Dumbarton is an opportunity that must not be overlooked.
>
> Therefore, in addition to the Recommendations in para 8.1 of this report,
> this Committee agrees that:
>
>   A market day be established in Dumbarton on a weekly basis on Thursdays,
>   so as not to conflict with the Wednesday market in Clydebank, with
>   effect from the beginning of April 2009
>
>   A report be brought to the next HEED Committee outlining the costs, e.g.
>   for road closures etc, to the Council to instigate this exciting
>   initiative
>
> And that
>
>   The Committee makes budget provision for such costs within its financial
>   budget for 2009/10

Response

“Business for Dumbarton welcomes the decision by the Housing, Environment
and Economic Development Committee to readmit car traffic into Dumbarton
High Street. We applaud the acknowledgement by the council that it has been
a failure and that at long last something will be done to improve the plight
of businesses and their customers, particularly the elderly and disabled. We
would of course have presferred that our own proposal be adopted and will
continue to campaign on that front. Dumbarton High Street and Town Centre
has many problems but the fact that 60% of our customers cannot even access
the place is by far the most significant

We find Councillor Calvert’s comments and motion extremely unhelpful and
quite frankly, unbelievable. Let us not forget that the current traffic
management scheme was part of an extravagant Acton Plan designed to “restore
vibrancy and vitality to Dumbarton Town Centre” by 2005. In 2000 I wrote to
the Lennox Herald about the Action Plan declaring that I saw it as a recipe
for continued downward footfall, shop closures and diminishing safety and
security. Councillor Calvert was one of the prime movers of the plan with
then Town Centre Manager Ian Davison Porter. Even now when the evidence is
there for all to see that the Action Plan has spectacularly failed, he
doesn’t have the simple good grace to admit that. To imply that the traffic
management scheme does not impact on the retail operations of Dumbarton is
to seriously misrepresent the true situation.

Business for Dumbarton will support any initiative which seeks to address
the decline in footfall, but we would much prefer to see an attempt to fill
empty shops rather than a weekly market. Clydebank and Dumbarton are very
different animals indeed. The best way to encourage traders back into the
town is to create an attractive trading environment. The tragedy is that it
could have beeen done at a fraction of the cost of the measures which have
put the town on its knees.