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Background
As part of the Building Better Communities programme, we commissioned consultants to prepare a regeneration plan for Johnstone town centre and Elderslie village centre.
The plan will provide a long term framework for future investment. It will consider a range of improvements including new civic, retail and community facilities for both centres.
As part of the Building Better Communities programme, we commissioned consultants to prepare a regeneration plan for Johnstone town centre and Elderslie village centre.
The plan will provide a long term framework for future investment. It will consider a range of improvements including new civic, retail and community facilities for both centres.
The consultants organised a series of public meetings to make sure that the plan reflected the views of local residents, businesses and anyone with an interest in the two centres.
The plan aims to:
- refresh the centres and make them attractive places to live, work and shop,
- identify the capacity of both centres to accommodate a range of uses,
- identify opportunities to support and encourage business prosperity and growth, and
- reduce the number of vacant and underused sites and prepare development guidance.
Progress so far
The consultants started work on the plan in January 2010 and will continue working on it until early summer. So far the consultant’s team have:
- interviewed traders, businesses and stakeholders in both town centres,
- assessed the physical appearance of the centres and their potential for growth,
- reviewed the property market,
- held two public consultation workshops for residents, local businesses, community group representatives and agencies, and
- held youth workshops at Johnstone High and Castlehead High schools.
Key development themes from each workshop included:
Johnstone
- changing the core of the town centre particularly around Houston court and the shopping precinct,
- improving community and civic facilities including the town hall,
- making the town centre more pedestrian friendly, and
- marketing the town centre more effectively.
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Elderslie
- improving Stoddard Square to establish a new heart for Elderslie,
- improving community facilities,
- promoting the history and Wallace connections,and
- promoting more safe walking and cycling routes.
Next steps
The views received from the workshops will now be carefully considered to help shape urban design options for Johnstone town centre and Elderslie centre.
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