A move to protect town centres across West Lothian from future uncertainties has been given unanimous backing by local councillors.
In the wake of the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, and amid a cost of living crisis, a review will be carried out into ways of protecting town centre viability.
There was cross-party support for the study at a recent meeting of the Economy, Community Empowerment and Wealth Building Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.
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That support was backed with calls with greater engagement with communities and local councillors, and a bold approach to imagine a different future.
“We need to stop thinking in old money,” said Armadale’s Independent councillor Stuart Borrowman.
All town centres have changed rapidly in recent years with the real growth moving from commercial trade such as butchers and bakers and small stores to services such as hairdressing and nail bars. Fears have been expressed in towns such as Bathgate that, while the centre remains vibrant, the diversity and range of businesses is shrinking.
In a report to the committee Stuart Ness, a Tourism and Town Centre Manager with the council said: “West Lothian's traditional town centres have, over recent years, felt the impact of economic change and changing shopping patterns; further compounded by the unprecedented challenges of the recent pandemic and now the cost of living crisis.
He added: “These changes also offer opportunities and Economic Development works closely with Town Centre Management Groups, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), local trader and business associations, individual businesses and sole traders, all of which bring together local stakeholders with the collective aim of creating more vibrant, sustainable and prosperous communities in our traditional town centres.”
There are well-established Town Centre Management Groups operating within the four traditional towns of Bathgate, Broxburn & Uphall, Linlithgow and Whitburn. These are council led with local business membership. Only Armadale lacks such a group.
Occupancy across the five town centres across the towns remains higher than average for Scotland as a whole at more than 90% .
Mr Ness said in his report: “Town centre management groups should operate positively and proactively, and promote a ‘can do culture’ enabling new initiatives and solutions to be developed and implemented. Group members are committed to promoting true partnership working, and adhering to an inclusive, open and positive ethos.”
Further to consideration of the report by the Panel, the next step will be a strategic review across West Lothian’s town centres, between November 2022 to February 2023. The review will take the form of both digital/online consultation and face to face engagement.
Councillor Borrowman said he believed the level of engagement in Armadale with elected members and high street businesses was, by his evidence, quite low. He hoped to see that improve.
Mr Ness said there was scope for improvement in the delivery of town centre improvement across the area.
Councillor Borrowman said the council had to be bold in recognising changes in what town centres could deliver, and not be afraid to forge new paths.
“We need to stop thinking in old money.
“I welcome the review. I’m interested in the extent to which, and would encourage, the review to look at the concept of town centres which have changed even in my time as an elected member.
“I remember the Scottish Government publishing a paper on regeneration a few years ago which said: ‘Stop pining for 1963, it’s not coming back.’
“It may be we need think what our town centres are and what our aspirations are for them and I’d certainly like us not to be afraid as to what it is we are hoping town centres are going to be in the future.”
Councillor Andrew Miller for the SNP said the report should have highlighted a commitment to safe spaces for women and girls.
He later told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “On the strategic review of town centres I felt it was important to include reference to the council’s commitment to safe spaces for women and girls. That it was not already included shows the council are not yet thinking corporately on these broad cross council issues. I am grateful that officers and fellow councillors agreed to include it in the remit of the review.
“It is perhaps worth mentioning that making spaces safer for women and girls also makes places and spaces safer for everybody, but it remains important to retain the focus on an identified group of our population whose activity and lives can often be restricted by fear and uncertainty.”
Linlithgow’s Lib Dem Councillor Sally Pattle also owns a bookshop in the town. She called for the council to do more to include communities and businesses in developing town centres.
Councillor Pattle said: “Prior to being elected in May 2022, I had no idea what either our Local Area Committee, or our Town Management Group, had responsibility for. I knew they existed, but I saw them as closed shops, and I’m afraid that’s how most people, local organisations and certainly businesses view them.
“I believe this is where the real problem lies as local government representatives, we need to be better at telling our communities what is available to them. I do however think both committees could work more closely together, and we could definitely do more to tell people who live and work in Linlithgow what we do, and how they can get more involved.”
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