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.