Paisley town centre - a chance for transformation

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The Paisley Vision Board today revealed plans for a 10 year, £50 million investment programme aimed at re-vitalising the town centre.

You can download the Executive summary of the report here.

'Paisley town centre – a strategy for regeneration and transformation', aims to kick-start an action plan to breathe life back into the area and create a bustling hub over the next ten years.

The study, commissioned by the Paisley Vision Board, Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire calls for a £50 million programme of public and private sector investment.

The transformation plans were revealed today to the Council, local politicians, local business and others in the community including the Police.

Council leader Jim Harkins, was one of the first to comment on the plans.

"This is an exciting proposition, and we welcome this report. We want to see the Scottish Executive and its enterprise agencies turning the spotlight on town centres while we here in Paisley take the first steps towards turning around its fortunes for the sake of those who live and work here.

There is no one at fault here for the demise of the town centre, it has simply been a case of market forces and is a pattern which has been repeated up and down the UK with big retail parks opening up. What we need to do now is take responsibility together for changing the town’s fortunes. It is important for everyone with a stake in the future of Paisley to make a united effort to act on the recommendations of the report.”

The study was required to look beyond retail and consider the wider future of the town centre, including residential and transport factors.

Amanda Moulson, Paisley Town Centre manager and Paisley Vision board member, also welcomed the report. She said:

“The Vision Board welcomes the study and will now work with partners to prepare an early action programme which will address areas such as access, ongoing maintenance and management of the town centre. The attraction of new investment through marketing of gap sites is another area we will be looking to address and we look forward to working with both the public and private sector to achieve all of this.”

Other tasks highlighted for the next few months include enhancing the Town Centre Management Team, working with other key partners and council departments and establishing a greater engagement with town centre owner/occupiers and agents.

Gabriel McLaughlin, of PropInvest, who own the Paisley Centre, gave his full support to the findings of the report.

He said: “We have made a £60 million commitment to Paisley which shows our confidence in the town and belief that we can turn it around. We are continuing to invest and we welcome this study and the approach our partners are taking. We give them our full support and look forward to working together for the benefit of our town centre.”

John Lord, of Yellowbook, the principal consultant on the report, said:

“The Executive have recently announced revised planning guidance regarding town centres but what is equally as important is targeted financial support to help stimulate the investment that is needed.

“Paisley will need to adapt to the powerful forces shaping our town centres, wealth, leisure, shopping, mobility, out of town shopping centres as well as local competition are having a great impact on our town centres and Paisley is one example of this. The reasons – however complex they are – are much less important than the solutions.”

The key recommendations of the report are:

• to recognise Paisley’s strengths in that it has a large catchment, a substantial business base, a thriving university, proximity to the airport and M8, handsome town-centre buildings and an existing retail base to build on.
  
• to acknowledge that the retail sector will never return to what it was. It may continue to shrink and consolidate, but that it is crucial to provide high-quality housing, encourage more students to live in town, to develop more business space and to nurture the creative community in order to establish a stable and affluent future.
  
• around £50 million needs to be spent in the town centre with some £10 million from the public purse. The public funding would act as a catalyst for private sector investment. Investment at this level will generate at least 2,000 new jobs.

Issued by the BIG partnership on behalf of Paisley Vision.