Initial Hawick Action Plan March 2016 Contents Initial Hawick Action Plan

INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN MARCH 2016 CONTENTS INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN

THEME 1. GREAT PLACE FOR WORKING & INVESTING 3

THEME 2. GREAT PLACE FOR LIVING & LEARNING 7

THEME 3. GREAT DESTINATION TO VISIT 9

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INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN

1. GREAT PLACE FOR WORKING & INVESTING

INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN | MARCH 2016 | 3 THEME 1 GREAT PLACE FOR WORKING & INVESTING

REF ACTIVITY STAKEHOLDERS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

1 Make Hawick a 'Connected S c o t t i s h B o r d e r s C o u n c i l Town and surrounding area connected Place' ready to do business in S co t t i s h E n t e r p r i s e with fastest available broadband and the modern economy Broadband suppliers mobile technology Mobile Phone operator a Review current superfast Scottish Borders Council, Assessment of current roll-out, Clear timetable for roll-out, Increased broadband coverage and existing local businesses, local Communication to businesses and capacity in areas or buildings identified plans for increasing community community on roll-out schedule, as important to economy Identify “hotspots” that need addressed b Review current mobile coverage Scottish Borders Council, Assessment of current roll-out, Clear timetable for roll-out, Increased and existing plans for increasing local businesses, local Communication to businesses and capacity in areas identified as important community community on roll-out schedule, to economy Identify “hotspots” that need addressed c Create free Wifi Hotspots in key - Scottish Borders Feasibility study into where these Wi-fi hotspots in key parts of the town parts of the the town Council, local businesses, should be and their impact/ local community, tourists effectiveness d Make progress with scoping - Scottish Borders Report covering the scope of a potential Information baseline in place to facilitate work in regard to the extension Council, local businesses, project a future feasibility study of the Borders Railway from local community, tourists Tweedbank to Carlisle e Consider opportunities for Scottish Borders Council, Report from Transport Scotland and A7 Potential for improvements on the A7 is improving A7 Trunk Road north local businesses, local Action Group on the practical potential clarified and south of the town, including community, tourists, A7 for improvements improved signage Action Group

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REF ACTIVITY STAKEHOLDERS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

2 Create an Environment to - Scottish Borders Council Attractive place and obvious contender Encourage Economic Growth - Scottish Enterprise as a place to develop a business - Owners - Tenants a Explore the benefits of an Scottish Enterprise, Assessment of opportunity and An enabler to doing business in Hawick Enterprise Zone in Hawick and Scottish Borders Council, comparison to other similar areas consider how similar benefits Businesses may be delivered through alternative approaches b Identify future business property Scottish Enterprise, Gap analysis showing potential future Appropriate business property available needs and match with current Scottish Borders Council, business property needs, existing and in the town to allow local businesses to availability Business Owners, building planned availability, and action required grow and inward investment to locate owners to meet gap c Evaluation of the empty Scottish Borders Council, Details of all empty properties, Upgraded appearance of the town, new industrial/commercial Scottish Enterprise, assessment of potential future uses, life for old buildings, spaces cleared for properties in the town, Business Owners, building (including 2d below) identification of future development or change of use reasearching ownership, future owners those that can be demolished for better potential use and gap analysis land use d Reaserch the potential to Scottish Borders Council, Review of possible areas for innovation, Creation of a modern, high quality, develop an incubator and Scottish Enterprise, the potential demand, and potential attractive business facility which will innovation centre to encourage Business Owners, locations / buildings facilitate new business development, business innovation, start-ups, building owners, Further higher value innovation, business growth and inward investment - Education, Higher growth and job creation Borders Business Improvement Education Base

INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN | MARCH 2016 | 5 REF ACTIVITY STAKEHOLDERS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

3 Create an Innovative Flood - Scottish Borders Flood protection for the town Future flood prevention, innovative Protection Scheme Council, community, business and tourism ideas, energy businesses, options and reuse of buildings a Support the current activity that Scottish Borders Council, Flood protection for businesses and Future flood protection, innovative is creating an innovative plan community, businesses householders business and tourism ideas, renewable to address the flood protection energy options and reuse of buildings of the town. This should be supported where possible by the Hawick Action Plan

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INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN

2. GREAT PLACE FOR LIVING & LEARNING

INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN | MARCH 2016 | 7 THEME 2 GREAT PLACE FOR LIVING & LEARNING

REF ACTIVITY STAKEHOLDERS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

1 Provide a suitable environment Skills Development A strong and diverse workforce to retain school leavers and to Scotland, Scottish attract new workers into the Borders Council, Borders area Regional College, Heriot Watt University, Employers - a Consider how to retain young Skills Development Survey of young people to identify A detailed plan for young people people in, and attract them back Scotland, Scottish Borders what will make them stay / encourage showing opportunities which would to, the area and ensure they have Council, Borders Regional them to return . Communication attract them to stay in the town and / or the skills local businesses need College, Heriot Watt to employers about apprenticeship return eg graduates University schemes. Closer working between - employers and further education to develop courses required b Attract people from outside the Scottish Borders Council, Creation of a marketing campaign to Enlarging the labour pool, attracting Scottish Borders to come to work Employers promote the town/region to people new skills and new families into the in Hawick looking to develop their career/family Borders, facilitating economic growth life c Deliver digital skills to all age Scottish Borders Council, A coordinated programme of digital More people with higher level digital groups to ensure that the Borders College, Skills skills training for businesses and skills, more businesses utilising higher workforce has the skills required Development Scotland, individuals to raise skills base level digital skills for a digital future Scottish Govt d Ensure local training providers Borders Regional College, Deliver a process that enables A more skilled workforce ready for jobs are delivering the courses that Heriot Watt University, employers to easily inform further created in the area businesses require Scottish Enterprise, education institutions what future skills Scottish Borders Council, requirements they have for employees Skills Development (young people and existing employees) Scotland

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INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN

3. GREAT DESTINATION TO VISIT

INITIAL HAWICK ACTION PLAN | MARCH 2016 | 9 THEME 3 GREAT DESTINATION TO VISIT

REF ACTIVITY STAKEHOLDERS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

1 Make a Hawick a great place to VisitScotland, Scottish visit and stay Borders Council, Community, Businesses a Working with local businesses, VisitScotland, Scottish Collate details of attractions and A strong tourist offering available to identify what the toursim offer is, Borders Council, experiences, both existing and in both visitors and community to help agree what the gaps are and how Businesses decelopment, and other essential sell the town, more visitors making the to fill them tourist facilities businesses more secure b Work with local tourism VisitScotland, Scottish Collate information held on bed spaces Accommodation available for the operators to address the issue of Borders Council, available in Hawick, find out from increased number of visitors a lack of hotel accommodation Businesses Mansfield House Hotel owners what their intentions are c Work with local businesses to Scottish Borders Council, identification of main problems, Attractive High street for visitors and for address issues facing the High Businesses, Future meeting with owners of empty new businesses to start Street, with shop closures and Hawick properties, use of Business Gateway attractiveness of the buildings shop jackets, produce plan for longer term development of the street

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1. INTRODUCTION

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