Motherwell Charretteplus® Guide 3: Charrette Outputs to Inform The

Motherwell Charretteplus®

Guide 3: Charrette outputs to inform the updated Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan

September 2015

Contents

1.0 - Executive Summary

2.0 - The Project

3.0 - Pre-Charrette: Setting an agenda

4.0 - Public Charrette: Testing and refining

5.0 - Charrette Proposals: Physical and non-physical strategy and projects

6.0 - Delivery

Appendices

1 - Children and young people’s participation report 2 - Potential charrette physical projects not progressed 3 - Pre-charrette comments 4 - Follow-up delivery presentation write-up 5 - Photos of charrette material 6 - Qualitative overview of Motherwell Town Centre 7 - Centrality study

1.0 Executive Summary

The main aim of the current Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan is that ‘Motherwell town centre is a welcoming, vibrant place serving its local community well’. This is supported by priority outcomes of making the town centre ‘attractive and sustainable’, ‘accessible to all’, ‘viable, creative and enterprising’ and ‘vibrant’. Much work has been done since the publication of the Draft Town Centre Action Plan, but challenges remain and more can be done to improve the town centre. This report presents the outcomes of the Motherwell Town Centre Charretteplus® held in June 2015. These will form the basis of discussions on the production of an updated Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan by North Lanarkshire Council. This could articulate a new vision of a town centre which is less disjointed, with easier pedestrian movement, more activity and energy, and which is viewed as the heart of the town by local residents.

The Motherwell Charretteplus® identified two major issues which affect the town centre. These are physical breaks and unclear management structures, both of which can be included under the heading of ‘disjointedness’. Wherever possible, subsequent Action Plan proposals and projects should tackle these endemic issues.

Four key points underpin the proposals: realistic solutions, attracting and keeping new people, a focus on activity, and streets as places. Four key themes emerged from the charrette process: greenspace, community activities, existing assets, and networks and wayfinding. The individual projects taken forward can be linked to one or more of these key themes.

Overall, this document should allow North Lanarkshire Council to finalise their updated Town Centre Action Plan. It can be used to inform what projects (physical and non-physical) the Council feels will be deliverable, what they and Community Planning partners agree can be developed together, and the timescales the Town Centre Action Plan actions will operate to.

• Physical breaks in the layout of the town centre Major • Unclear town centre management structures Issues

• Realistic solutions • Attracting and keeping new people • A focus on activity Key Points • Streets as places

• Greenspace • Community activities Key • Existing assets Themes • Transport networks and wayfinding

2.0 The Project

The focus of this Charretteplus® is Motherwell Town Centre (boundary defined by planning policy, see Figure 1 below) and the main objective is:

To test and demonstrate the potential for the Charretteplus® model to support the delivery of the Town Centre First Principle and encourage Community Planning Partnerships to bring this principle to the fore when delivering on their Single Outcome Agreements.

The Town Centre First Principle encourages the public sector to continue to invest in town centres and help communities thrive. Jointly developed by the Scottish Government and COSLA, it is recognised that:

‘Town centres are a key element of the economic, social and environmental fabric of Scotland’s towns; often at the core of community and economic life, offering spaces in which to live, meet and interact, do business, and access facilities and services. We must take collective responsibility to help town centres thrive sustainably, reinvent their function, and meet the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors for the 21st century’.

In response, the principle requests that: ‘Government, local authorities, the wider public sector, businesses and communities put the health of town centres at the heart of proportionate and best value decision making, seeking to deliver the best local outcomes regarding investment and de-investment decisions, alignment of policies, targeting of available resources to priority town centre sites, and encouraging vibrancy, equality and diversity’.

The Scottish Government and the North Lanarkshire Partnership wanted to test ways in which the Town Centre First Principle could be deployed to maximise the benefits of public sector investment, service delivery and planning policy in a particular town centre, through the integration of land use and community planning. This Charretteplus® facilitated collaboration between the community of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire Council and other Community Planning partners, and sought to apply the Town Centre First Principle in devising physical and non-physical means of improving the town centre that could be included in the revised Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan. This report is the third in a series of three reports following delivery of the latest in a series of Charretteplus® events in Motherwell town centre. Collectively, the three reports are a call to action for greater participative placemaking in Scotland, with the aim of engaging and empowering communities and delivering better outcomes for people and place.

The three guides are:

 A Guide for Community Planning Partnerships explains WHY participative placemaking is necessary (Guide 1).

 A Guide describing HOW Charretteplus® works and what it looks like: a Toolkit (Guide 2).

 This report of the Motherwell Town Centre Charretteplus® (which informs the Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan) illustrates WHAT can happen (Guide 3).

Figure 1: Motherwell Town Centre as defined by planning policy (shaded blue area)

3.0 Pre-Charrette: Setting an agenda

During May and June 2015, a series of interviews and meetings were held with as many stakeholders as possible to understand their Town Centre issues. The key purpose of this stage of the process was to ensure the charrette team understood who was involved in making decisions, the types of issues people considered important and potential areas for the charrette process to focus on. The following section highlights the outputs of the pre-charrette stage that formed the starting point of public discussions. Young people sessions Three sessions were undertaken with young people in advance of the public charrette. These were with: (1) pupils from three primary schools (Muirhouse, Ladywell and St Brendan’s), (2) pupils from Dalziel High School, and (3) Motherwell Youth Voice youth group. Each group came up with a wide range of positives and negatives about the town centre and many potential solutions. It is clear that the three different groups use the town centre differently, and amongst them, have different ideas about how to prioritise its improvements. It is important to note that whilst similar themes around shopping and leisure emerge from all groups, their ideas and particular concerns were markedly different, and therefore it is unlikely that one single solution can be found to include all children and young people. As well as age, there were clear differences between individuals’ perceptions and ideas of the town centre. The report of these sessions is attached to this report as Appendix 1. A number of common aspirations emerged across all of the sessions:

 A better night-time economy for young people, including more eateries where young people can sit down and socialise (such as McDonalds and the new KFC).  More facilities for young people to interact, such as soft play and a youth club-type setup.  A better and wider range of shops (there were many comments about the majority of people going to Glasgow and Hamilton for good shops).  Provision of free public toilets (the toilets in Motherwell Shopping Centre are not free).  Sustainable/ecological shops and vegetable growing areas.  Better lighting along Brandon Parade.  Covered roofing over Brandon Parade. These aspirations fed into the charrette proposals, in particular those for Brandon Parade. Some of their suggestions for physical projects were not progressed by the charrette but they will feed into the revised Town Centre Action Plan. These are included, with others, in Appendix 2. A series of posters summarising the youth workshop findings were placed on public display for the duration of the public charrette.

Stakeholder sessions Informal interviews were held with a large number of local stakeholders:

 Council departments including regeneration, planning, transport, community learning and development, social work, environmental health and estates.  North Lanarkshire Partnership board (the Community Planning Partnership).

 Other Community Planning partners including Motherwell Community Forum, Town Centre Activities Ltd, NHS, Police Scotland, Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire, Lanarkshire Housing Association, Abellio Scotrail and SPT.  Motherwell Shopping Centre, which owns and manages the commercial units along Brandon Parade and most of the south side of Merry Street.  A number of local businesses and social enterprises.  Brandon Court Tenants and Residents Association.  Local Councillors.

A range of comments were made at these interviews, and these are summarised below. The full range of comments are included as Appendix 3.

 Motherwell is the first Dementia-Friendly Town Centre in Scotland.

 There are some issues with anti-social behaviour in parts of the town centre, although the actual level of crime is of less concern. Litter and gum is a source of complaints.

 There is little to do in the evenings for people of any age, beyond a small number of pubs.

 Motherwell town centre’s shopping offer is perceived as catering for lower incomes, whilst those on higher incomes choose to go to Hamilton, Glasgow Fort or Glasgow city centre. There is some feeling that there is a lack of vision/aspiration for the town centre.

 The town centre is a popular and convenient place to live, although most residents are older.

 The owners of Motherwell Shopping Centre have invested in filling vacancies, upgrading their property and organising events/activities. New outlets have also opened, e.g. KFC. Footfall has increased.

 Small businesses and start-ups are keen to get more support – e.g. to set up businesses, training, access to finance;

 Town centre events are welcomed, but there is the desire that these occur across the town centre and not just in the Shopping Centre.

 The vacancy rate within the Shopping Centre is low, but it is higher on Brandon Street and Windmillhill Street towards the Civic Centre.

 BIDs were considered in North Lanarkshire 2-3 years ago and there was little interest at that time in making a BID application;

 Crossing the ring road for pedestrians is an issue flagged up in the existing Town Centre Action Plan. There is a lot of pedestrian movement, both via at-grade crossings and underpasses, although there is some perception that the underpasses are unsafe.

 A lack of available parking and convenient bus stops around the ring road is a common cause of complaint to Councillors;

 The NHS is keen to explore more ways of helping people lead healthier and more active lives, e.g. hire bikes, other places for young people to go beyond McDonalds and KFC, outdoor gyms;

 There are two projects which NLC are hoping to obtain City Deal funding for, which are at the initial business case stage. These are: o A new road between the Hamilton Road railway bridge roundabout and the front of Motherwell Railway Station, to address ongoing congestion issues. o The creation of a new dual carriageway link from the roundabout at the Civic Centre, across the railway line to the east and into Ravenscraig – a continuation of Airbles Road and part of a new north-south link between the M74, Ravenscraig, Eurocentral and Cumbernauld. This is beyond the scope of the charrette.

This information provided a good starting point to begin the public stage of the charrette, at which point everyone attending could agree or disagree with the initial issues. The key points were distilled and analysed to understand common issues within Motherwell Town Centre, and four main areas emerged:

1. A town centre that attracts all ages 2. Town Centre living 3. Town Centre activity, business and enterprise 4. Getting to and moving around the Town Centre These were subsequently used as the titles of the Themed Workshops during the charrette itself.

4.0 Public charrette: testing and refining

The public focus of the charrette was the design studio between the 21st and 25th June, followed by a final ‘delivery’ presentation two months later on 20th August.

The charrette was publicised in a number of ways by North Lanarkshire Council and PAS, focussed around distribution of a printed and online publicity flyer (Figure 2 below)

 Direct email and electronic distribution to around 180 stakeholders and onwards through their networks.  Cascading information out via local organisations such as Motherwell Shopping Centre (to their tenant retailers), Local Area Committee members (Community Planning Partners such as NHS and Council departments) and Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire.  Distribution of hard copy flyers to town centre businesses and public offices.  Door-to-door distribution of flyers in town centre and to many Council-owned properties in the town as a whole.  North Lanarkshire Council website.  Media releases to local press and broadcast media, resulting in articles like this one in the Motherwell Times: http://www.motherwelltimes.co.uk/news/local- headlines/plan-to-help-shape-future-of-the-town-centre-1-3799867  Dedicated social media: facebook.com/motherwell2015, Twitter @motherwell2015 and #motherwell2015.

Figure 2: Motherwell Charretteplus® publicity flyer

The public events conducted were as follows:

 Sunday 21st to Thursday 25th June - Public Design Studio This was a public drop-in event, open to all interested. Attendees were free to come and go, chat about the town centre, its good and bad points, and how it can be improved. Staff were on hand to turn ideas into drawings and designs. There was also a scheduled walkabout of the town centre on the Sunday afternoon, with attendees able to look at and discuss their surroundings (Figure 3 below). Additionally, there were two presentations formally opening and closing the public design studio on the Sunday and Thursday evenings, and an interim progress presentation on the Tuesday evening.

 Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd June – Themed Workshops Within the public design studio, there were four themed workshops dedicated to topics which emerged during the pre-charrette phase. They were open to the public and relevant professionals, and participants had the opportunity to discuss issues and design solutions.

 Thursday 20th August – Follow-up Delivery Presentation This was a public event where the Council explained how they will take forward the proposals and actions produced during the Public Design Studio. This included identification of which projects were most feasible from their perspective and the timescales at which they could be developed. It was followed by a discussion of proposals with the audience, who were free to give their opinions and suggest changes or improvements (See Appendix 4 for more details).

Figure 3: Town centre walkabout.

During the public charrette period, the charrette team engaged and listened to everyone who attended through a mixture of one-to-one conversations and themed workshops. A recorded 74 people attended the Public Design Studio at various times (often multiple times) between the 21st and 25th June, but as not all signed in, the true number participating was likely over 100. Forty people attended the Follow-up Delivery Presentation, in addition to 20 PAS staff, volunteers and associates.

As already noted, the titles of the four themed, public workshops were decided by the issues and matters raised during the pre-charrette process and were:

1. A town that attracts all ages; 2. Town Centre living; 3. Town Centre activity, business and enterprise; and 4. Getting to and moving around the Town Centre.

All of the comments generated from the themed workshops were placed on public display to enable both the charrette team and the general public to understand the project direction and to challenge this, if necessary (see Appendix 5). The purpose of the charrette process is to continually reduce large numbers of comments (verbal, written or drawn) into focussed actions that the design team can start to test in detail. The typical comments made within each workshop are noted below:

1. A town that attracts all ages

 Improved signage and information points;  Increased illumination at underpass;  More structured activity for young people;  Street art project applied to the shop shutters;  Town Centre walking routes;  Illumination of landmarks;  Creation of a cinema;  Better dining opportunities;  Roofing over Brandon Parade;  Make use of the attractive buildings and independent businesses on Windmillhill Street;  Create more outside spaces/streetscape like that outside the Library;  More variety in the shops.

2. Town Centre living

 How to promote housing above shops?  Open up Brandon Court at first floor level again;  Build deck across the rail line to the Heritage Centre to create a new public space;  Not many streets you would choose to walk down - more greenery would help;  High demand for all types of housing in and around the town centre;  Local Housing Strategy needs to continue to recognise the Town Centre as a priority;  Showcase the town’s talent;  Improve cleanliness of streets;  Create a community noticeboard and advertise events more;  Make use of the YMCA building as a community space;  Young people’s cinema (potentially pop-up)

3. Town Centre activity, business and enterprise

 Signage should be informing people about what’s happening in the Town Centre;  Blank walls, e.g. back of Shopping Centre units, could be used for advertising and art;  Encourage a greater variety of shops to locate in Motherwell, including independents;  Create a better mix of eating and drinking opportunities;  General confusion between the roles of Town Centre Activities, Motherwell Shopping Centre and North Lanarkshire Council in supporting the Town Centre – a one-stop shop is suggested;  Locate community centre and public services in town centre locations;  Run an events programme in conjunction with local businesses to celebrate Motherwell;  Support young people to get involved with Town Centre businesses;  Develop a business forum;  Deal with parking restrictions;  The Town Centre needs activity after 5pm;  Long term changes require a different demographic using the town centre that has more disposable income

4. Getting to and moving around the town centre

 Arriving by train is currently fine but links to the Heritage Centre would be useful;  Potential for a bike-and-go scheme potentially linked to Strathclyde Park;  Poor links between the different parts of the town centre;  The ring road and the railway line are constraints to movement;  Better integration of different modes of transport;  Pedestrian links could be improved;  Big issue with buses queuing on Muir Street blocking the entire town centre;  Can the road space around the ring road be reduced?  More parking facilities needed;  Wouldn’t walk through the Town Centre at night;  Better transport links to Strathclyde Park;  The underpasses are barriers

One word was repeated more than any other over the five days of conversations: disjointed. Taking a strategic look at these comments and workshop findings, we discerned there were two key aspects to this word being applied to Motherwell town centre:  Physical breaks: For example, Brandon Parade South to Merry Street (including east of the ring road) and Brandon Street/Windmillhill Street to Brandon Parade South; and  Town Centre management: There is some confusion over the respective roles of the Motherwell Shopping Centre, Town Centre Activities and North Lanarkshire Council.

The physical breaks are illustrated by Figure 4 below and are considered in more detail in Appendix 6. This qualitative study includes consideration of the major locations at which physical breaks occur, the role of transport infrastructure in the formation of these physical breaks and the relationship to social spaces and pedestrian mobility. A key observation from this exercise is that there is scope (and a need) to take greater advantage of what already exists in the Town Centre to support social activity in the centre, and to gain greater return (social and economic) on the infrastructure investments that have already been made. These helped to define the charrette approach to producing an overall strategy and the selection of individual projects to address physical breaks and support social activity.

Figure 4: Illustration of physical breaks and disjointedness.

In terms of tackling disjointedness in ‘management’, three key points were proposed to underpin positive change to management practice:

1. A new way of working is required for the existing stakeholders (Motherwell Shopping Centre, Town Centre Activities, North Lanarkshire Council, Culture NL and VANL) to better work together to facilitate, promote and market events and business opportunities that better reflect the needs and opportunities linked to the people in and around Motherwell Town Centre. This should include better coordination between public and private-sector town centre management.

2. A single proactive point of contact is needed for existing and new businesses operating in the town centre to provide advice and support.

3. Re-launch town centre coordinating meetings or forums for businesses and other stakeholders, based around specific events or topics, with businesses encouraged to initiate and develop business networks to promote business-to-business conversations.

Projects galvanise people, initiate conversations and flush out hidden opportunities. A potential starting project would be a ‘town centre spring clean’, where North Lanarkshire Council, Town Centre Activities, Motherwell Shopping Centre and others encourage all business owners and landowners to smarten up their buildings and property. This would also address one of the community’s major concerns – the general condition of the town centre’s buildings and spaces. The key organisations would be taking the lead on buildings and property that they are responsible for, with potential roles for volunteers too. Encouraging businesses to meet within the context of an activity enables informal and formal networking opportunities.

As a prelude to presenting the material generated at the charrette, a number of key points were distilled that provide the framework for selecting projects:

 Realistic solutions: Future proposals for the town centre need to ‘lift the spirit’ but also be realistic and practical. We know that significant budgets for introducing large scale changes are unlikely so proposals need to reflect this fact;

 Attract and keep new people: The town centre must strive to attract everyone in Motherwell, including residents who don't currently use it. The long term success of the Town Centre may require new people, from different demographic backgrounds, to use it more often. The identified housing sites (within current planning policy), if developed, could increase the population living within close proximity to the Town Centre;

 Focus on activity: This should be firstly focused on ‘people activity’ (weekend events, evening activities) to showcase talent, inspire and create a unique identity for the town. Secondly, focus on business and enterprise activity (helping existing and new firms) to make growth and start-ups as easy as possible by taking a customer service, one-stop approach. Making sure that people within the Town Centre understand what’s happening now and what’s available - for example, not many people know that TCA already operate a calendar of events for all town centres in North Lanarkshire, an online directory, a digital platform (InMotherwell), and a go-to service for vacant units in North Lanarkshire town centres.

 Streets as places: Create streets people would choose to walk down and perhaps stay for longer. This references the need for more activity, more greenery, safer connections, well-planned maintenance and well-designed streets that make it easy for everyone to move around.

Taken together, these four principles helped the selection of charrette proposals (physical and non-physical).

5.0 Charrette Proposals: Physical and non-physical strategy and projects The key focus of the charrette was to provide a strategy for the Town Centre that reflected the comments and information presented to the charrette team, and to visualise projects. The strategy and visualisations can contribute to achieving the vision and objectives of an updated Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan. The overall plan (Figure 5) illustrates a layering of the elements important to the experience of people who use and access Motherwell Town Centre. It contains layers of information that graphically represent a focus on activity, streets as places and the desire to keep people within the Town Centre. These layers combine four key themes for the charrette: 1. Greenspace; 2. Community activities; 3. Existing assets; and 4. Networks/wayfinding. Each of the individual projects can be linked to creating or enhancing one or more of these key themes.

Figure 5: Motherwell Town Centre Key Diagram

Figure 5a: Motherwell Town Centre Key Diagram Key

Physical strategy – 4 key themes 1. Greenspace A consistent theme of those attending the workshops was that the town centre did not ‘feel’ very green and that more greenery was desired. Contrary to these impressions, Motherwell town centre does in fact have significant areas of natural and semi-natural greenspace (Figure 6), particularly alongside the railway tracks and the town centre ring road. There are also areas of maintained urban greenspace which is used predominantly for decorative or amenity purposes, and many areas of active or social greenspace such as formal parks, gardens, bowling greens and football pitches. Many of these assets are in close proximity to the town centre. Linking these three types of greenspace into a cohesive strategy for the town centre could yield benefits not only in the improved appearance of the area but also in its ability to sustain wildlife habitats, reduce the effects of pollution, and provide a hierarchy of recreational space as well as a variety of social spaces. Each future physical project within the Town Centre is likely to be in close proximity to one of the identified green spaces or form part of a route connecting spaces. If the ambition is to introduce a ‘greener experience’ for the people using the Town Centre, every project should contribute to the creation and/or enhancement of green elements. For example, this could be through the simple introduction of tree planting when road improvements are implemented, as recently implemented in Merry Street, Hamilton Road and Muir Street. Over time, the incremental changes can amount to significant overall changes and create stronger, green links and spaces.

Figure 6: Green spaces in Motherwell Town Centre

2. Community activities Research was carried out during the public charrette period (desktop and also through approaching several local community hubs such as Aquatec, the Heritage Centre, Library and Citizens Advice Bureau) to identify community organisations active in Motherwell. Around 20 bodies that could potentially use the public realm to promote their activities were identified. This included:

 Local bands;  Dance groups, such as Funtastica Dance;  Local schools, such as Dalziel High School;  Local church organisations;  Motherwell Photographic Society;  Creative writing club;  Children’s Theatre Society;  Federation of City Gardens & Community Gardens;  Local boxing clubs;  Local Fairtrade/Culinary Groups;  Motherwell Football Club Community Trust;  Dalziel Rugby Club;  Motherwell Health & Wellbeing Hub; and  Law Wheelers Cycling Club.

The activities of these organisations have been mapped onto the town centre with a suggested location appropriate to its specialist area of interest (Figure 8), as a starting point for further discussion. From Motherwell Station along Brandon Parade to Brandon Street and Windmillhill Street, these organisations can help to enliven the public realm of the town centre and increase footfall, while promoting their activities to a wider audience to potentially inspire others. The mapping in figure 8 is a start to this process, providing a methodology for understanding that the spaces and streets in Motherwell town centre have huge potential. The key activity space is the pedestrianised area of Garrion Square, which has been selected as the space to host a semi-permanent structure to host events that showcase local groups involved with art activities (e.g. dance, theatre, music). This would be considered low risk and low cost and could be beneficial in improving business activity for those located within the vicinity of Merry Street and, depending on a finalised programme, could improve usage of the Town Centre into the evening. In terms of organising and managing these activities, a community activities forum or committee could be formed, linking representatives of the above groups and potentially relevant officers from North Lanarkshire Council and/or Town Centre Activities. The latter two may be necessary to give the required steer and impetus to delivery and ensuring that the relevant licensing etc. is dealt with to allow public events to take place. There is the potential for this group to give inexperienced local people the chance to get involved in civic action. Motherwell Football Club, Funtastica dance studio and New College Lanarkshire have already come forward to say that they would be interested in holding community events in the Garrion Square performance space. Motherwell FC would like to hold outdoor fitness sessions, hold football demonstrations, showcase local cheerleaders, and perform music, while Funtastica would like to put on dance performances by their students. New College

Lanarkshire are interested in such diverse activities as music performances and beauty treatment therapies. A worked example of how a programme of events may start to be formulated was generated during the public charrette and is included below (Figure 7). Activities could be based around particular holidays, festivals or other themes, and may be one-off or repeated occasions. Such a calendar of events could be produced and disseminated in the local press and social media.

Figure 7: Example of a possible town centre events programme

Figure 8: Suggested locations for community activities in Motherwell Town Centre

3. Existing assets Motherwell town centre has a considerable number of assets, as shown in Figure 9. Places where people gather such as the most popular streets of the retail core, places that generate pedestrian activity (for example the main shopping car parks), historic buildings that punctuate the street-scene and important buildings which people visit such as the Aquatec, Asda Superstore, Health Centre, Heritage Centre, Library, Civic Centre and the Concert Hall are all important facets of community life. In each case, the immediate environment of these buildings and areas could be the subject of improvements which provide better infrastructure for social activity.

Figure 9: Existing assets in Motherwell Town Centre

4. Networks and wayfinding The town centre’s streets are where the civic life of the town is played out. Meeting people, shopping and going to work are all normal everyday activities that should have the most positive environment possible, for the residential and business communities as well as for visitors to the town. North Lanarkshire Council have invested heavily in the public realm of specific areas of the town centre but many other areas also require improvement. Continuing to create a safe environment in which people can get around with ease and comfort is a worthwhile aim. Principle routes are mapped out in Figure 10, all of which could become more positive focal points and hubs for activities. They could also become more easily negotiable through alterations to surfaces and geometry which balance the needs of motorists and pedestrians in a positive way. The diagram identifies nodes and junctions where pedestrians/cyclists could be better accommodated. Each node is either within the town centre or on a key route. These nodes also represent locations that could form the basis of a wayfinding strategy, details of which are set out in Project h below. Additionally, during the public charrette period, a centrality study was undertaken to inform the identification of nodes and junctions. Whilst technical, it demonstrates that the area of the town centre within the ring road is a separate entity and supports the idea that enabling easier pedestrian movement will help to connect different pats of the town centre (see Appendix 6).

Figure 10: Networks and wayfinding in Motherwell Town Centre

Individual Projects - Physical In order to illustrate how the overall Town Centre plans could be moved forward, the Charretteplus team identified projects that represented the key principles and produced visualisations during the public charrette period, illustrating the potential changes. By illustrating potential changes, this enabled discussion both on the nature of the changes and the location. If stakeholders within the Town Centre considered another location was more important, then other locations were looked at. The benefit of showing what the changes may look like stimulated ideas as to what changes in other areas may look like. The Charretteplus team was limited by time in terms of producing a larger number of visualisations, as is normal, so it is important to note the transferable nature of the project proposals. A number of other projects were proposed/discussed but were not worked up during the Charretteplus. They are included as Appendix 2. The timetable for delivery is entirely at the discretion of the stakeholders leading change within the Town Centre. The projects illustrate a number of cost effective ideas, such as Brandon Court and underpass changes, than can be progressed, perhaps to feasibility, in the short term. The changes to the public realm within Brandon Street/Windmillhill Street are more comprehensive but are considered vital to support and encourage people to use this part of the Town Centre. The key aspect is considered to be to start a few small projects (e.g. initiate a Garrion Square event and engage Motherwell Shopping Centre with regards to the Brandon Court roof) at a number of locations across the Town Centre that engage as many stakeholders as possible. Instigating visual change, in collaboration with those who will benefit, sets a benchmark and establishes a culture of prioritising projects that benefit people’s lives first.

Table 1: Physical projects (illustrations below) Project Description Timescale Partners (lead Funding (short term = 1-2 and support) years, medium term = 3-5 years; long term = 6-10 years) a. Brandon Court A new environment on the roof Medium term  NLC Planning  NLC (i- roof space space for Brandon Court and  Voluntary iii) residents that supports a wide Regeneration sector grants range of functions, to encourage  Motherwell outdoor and social activities Shopping Centre  NLC  Brandon Court Tenants Association b. Brandon Parade Subtle but significant design Medium term  Motherwell  Motherwell South changes to brighten and open up Shopping Shopping the space in the main shopping Centre Centre street.  NLC (support)  Local businesses c. Brandon Street Waymarking, landscaping and Medium term  Motherwell  NLC underpass lighting to make the underpass a Shopping  MSC more welcoming route and to Centre better link Brandon  NLC (support) Street/Windmillhill Street with the rest of the town centre. d. Garrion Square Target the regular use of spaces Short term  NLC  NLC and streets throughout the town  TCA  NHS Health centre with the aim or providing  Merry St. Improvement entertainment, showcasing local businesses, talent, inspiring others and

improving the visibility of local e.g. businesses. All schools, colleges, Funtastica clubs, associations, businesses  VANL will have the opportunity to use  Community the Town Centre as a venue to groups, e.g. promote their function and create Motherwell an identity unique to Motherwell. Community Forum  Schools  Motherwell FC  New College Lanarkshire e. Brandon Redesigning the streetscape to Medium term  NLC  NLC Street/Windmillhill transform the quality and identity  Brandon and Street public of the street, and encourage Windmillhill realm and retail greater retail activity. Streets activity businesses f. Brandon Using the width of Brandon Street Medium term  NLC  NLC Street/Windmillhill to improve pedestrian access,  Brandon and Street public create a greener environment and Windmillhill realm accommodate on street parking. Streets businesses g. Windmillhill Redesigning the public space by Medium term  NLC  NHS Street/Health the Health Centre and adjacent  NHS Lanarkshire Centre public street to create a balanced Lanarkshire  NLC realm environment providing an informal  VANL  Local area to host activities and events,  Local landowners increased amenity through businesses and landscaping and street trees and businesses on street parking for the local businesses. h. Wayfinding (town A system of signs or markings to: Short term  NLC  NLC centre wide) direct visitors to key destinations;

to guide and orientate those who  Motherwell  Local need help to move around the Shopping landowners town centre safely and to help link Centre and Brandon Street to the rest of the  TCA businesses town centre.  NHS  Health sector Lanarkshire  Accessibility  NL Disability sector Access Panel  Alzheimer Scotland i. Motherwell Arrival ‘Motherwell arrival’ scheme - in Long term  Abellio  City Deal Project (Railway the context of potential rail station  Network Rail  Rail industry Station/Muir improvements by Abellio and  NLC Street) emerging City Deal proposal to complete the ring road and improve access for all - Muir Street/Motherwell Cross.

Project a(i): Brandon Court rear garden

The majority of residents within the Town Centre live in Brandon Court so a project that creates green space and facilitates activity is proposed. These drawings illustrate the idea of the Brandon Court rear garden and depict a large flexible space that can accommodate a variety of passive and active activities and recreations, from bowls to sunbathing, from gardening to painting murals. The concrete parapets of the existing space are enlivened with art-walls for painting and community expression, whilst movable planting tubs and vertical growing walls provide for young and elderly alike to garden and grow fruit, vegetables and flowers, enhancing health and well-being. As the land is privately owned, this project (and the following two linked projects) would be at the discretion of Motherwell Shopping Centre and the Brandon Court residents.

Project a(ii): Brandon Court front garden

The physical changes needed to transform this space are simple and easy to achieve, although they are dependent on agreeing acceptable terms with the private landowner. The project would fundamentally change the sense of privacy and ownership of the space. The existing railings to Brandon Court are retained but a simple planter box system is fixed to the top, creating a visual and physical separation between Brandon Court and the rest of the roof space. This creates privacy for the Brandon Court residents whilst adding to the demarcation of the public space. Individual features such as the gate to Brandon Court can be re-designed by residents to enhance the sense of ownership and character of the area. The ‘public street’ is enhanced through a series of potential measures including changes to the colour of the roof surface to guide movement, the introduction of flower planters and hanging baskets to add colour, seasonality and connectivity to other design measures throughout Motherwell, as well as moveable informal seating.

Project a(iii): Brandon Court ‘public street’

The public street proposals are intended to enliven, attract and engage pedestrians. To achieve this, the design proposals suggest simple, low cost, flexible solutions, including animating the roof surface with colour, movement wayfinders (arrows, text, etc.), the introduction of a range of planters providing spatial separation, seasonal colour and relief and softening of the bland and discoloured concrete of the building and parapet. Improved lighting provides low energy solutions that enhance and attract pedestrians with bright, clear and colourful routes.

Project b: Brandon Parade South

The proposal for Brandon Parade South is to subtly change the design of the space by removing the redundant benches and planters on an existing north facing wall which are unused and decaying in the street. The ‘freeing-up’ of this space could be exploited by introducing additional stalls and independent retail opportunities, increasing natural surveillance and security. Additional design intentions are to simplify the paving and materials within the Parade to brighten and open up the space. As this is private property of Motherwell Shopping Centre they would be largely responsible for realisation of the project, with encouragement from North Lanarkshire Council.

Project c: Brandon Street underpass

The underpass is typical of those that encircle Motherwell town centre. Whilst the long-term intention should be to design out the underpasses for more attractive surface crossings, the visulations illustrate some simple, effective, cost-effective solutions including enhanced wayfinding incorporating colour, symbols, text and sensory enhancements (urban productive gardens etc.) that help to open up the spaces, enliven them, and assist in cognitive recognition and enhanced legibility. This supports the dementia-friendly status of Motherwell Town Centre. Improved modern lighting within and outside the underpass helps to create more attractive places, brightening up the space and providing enhanced security and natural surveillance of the place.

Project d: Garrion Square

Before

Garrion Square has the potential to a be a key performance space within the Town Centre. The space would be accessible to any group wishing to perform and showcase their talents. The previous investment in the public realm has created an attractive setting; the next step is to fill the space with people and activity.

After

Project e: Brandon Street/Windmillhill Street public realm and retail activity

Before The identity and quality of the public realm along Brandon Street has the opportunity to be transformed by expressing the use of the shops of the businesses in a redesigned streetscape. Grants or support for businesses to make the most of outside space is encourged and could be initiated through low-cost pilot projects to reclaim sections of road space to test ideas.

After

Project f: Brandon Street/Windmillhill Street public realm

Before The very wide carriageway of Brandon Street offers the potential to introduce median strips (to make crossing easier and safer at any point), tree planting (to create a greener environment) and wider pavements which also incorporate on-street parking.

After

Project g: Windmillhill Street/Health Centre public realm

Before The re-design of the Health Centre public space and the adjacent street environment has the potential to create a new green area that is safe and attractive. The improved space could host activities and events as part of the proposed street activities strategy. New tree planting and well-defined on-street parking create a balanced environment that increases amenity whilst allowing easy access to small businesses.

After

Project h: Wayfinding This project builds on the material produced during the Motherwell Town Centre Charrette, particularly the Centrality Modelling of the area (see Appendix 7 below) and the Networks and Wayfinding proposals. Starting points The wayfinding system should be obvious to visitors on arrival in the town centre, therefore the Railway Station, bus stops, car parks and key pedestrian routes into the town centre are key starting points. The system should convey the message that visitors are welcome and that they are being given guidance to make the most of their visit. The benefits of the wayfinding system should be effective across a broad spectrum. This applies not only to visitors, as the local community and businesses will also benefit from better information systems. Town Centre zones and connections The charrette process produced centrality modelling and the basis of a wayfinding structure for the town centre. These drawings are abstract and conceptual. They are attached as appendices, as background information to assist the detailed design of the signage and wayfinding system. Two key diagrams have subsequently been produced, to suggest to the Council and the specialist design team a strategic spatial layout for the signage and wayfinding scheme. These are included below: 1. A town centre zone diagram (figure 11) which sets out the different areas of the town centre keyed in different colours. Within each zone there will be considerably more detail and information about facilities, attractions, history and other factors. 2. An arrival and network diagram (figure 12) that shows the main starting points for visitors to the town centre and connecting routes between these points.

Principles The basic principles of a proposed wayfinding scheme should incorporate the ideas emerging from the charrette process as well as best practice in visitor orientation and information systems. The scheme should aim to:

 Maximise the use of people’s time in the town centre.  Encourage people to explore and seek out new activities and places.  Encourage walking rather than car use and encourage healthy lifestyles (to support this aim, the designers may wish to consider extending the scheme so as to encourage people to walk into the town centre from surrounding neighbourhoods).  Reduce anxiety and frustration through not being to find places.  Enhance the visitor experience, improve visitor satisfaction levels and increase dwell time. There are a number of critical design principles which should be included in the brief to the designers:

 The scheme should cater for all ages and conditions, including catering for people with dementia (in line with recent work to create a dementia-friendly town centre). It

is expected that one design should accommodate the needs of all users, rather than separate schemes for different user groups.  The design aesthetic should contribute to a contemporary, vibrant image for the town centre.  The scheme should provide as much information as possible about specific facilities, businesses and activities that are available in each part of the town centre – yet avoid confusion with an excess of information.  The design should be developed with the residential and business communities in order to assist the work of community groups as well as the business community (e.g. wayfinding destinations and routes should be identified in consultation with the local community).  The designers of the signage and wayfinding scheme should use these principles and the strategic spatial layout in Figures 11 and 12 to work up a detailed design.

Figure11: Town Centre zone diagram

Figure 11 shows potential town centre zones and suggests a name for each one. The signage and wayfinding system should also indicate what can be found in each zone, such as the range of uses indicated below (to be refined through detailed design):

 Hamilton Road - library, business, hotel  Heritage Centre - museum  West Hamilton Street – buses, supermarkets  Muir Street – rail, buses, shops  Motherwell Cross – buses, shops, food and drink  Brandon Parade – shops, food and drink  Brandon Street – shops, food and drink, businesses  Windmillhill Street – shops, food and drink, businesses  Civic Centre – health centre, theatre, offices  Airbles – railway  Duchess Park – green space  Fir Park – stadium  Aquatec – leisure, sport  Garrion Square – shops, food and drink, event space, Shopmobility  Merry Street – shops, food and drink  Cathedral - parking

Figure 12: Town Centre arrival and network diagram

B = bus stops P = parking

Project i: ‘The Motherwell Arrival Project’ (Railway Station/Muir Street) There are two transport proposals for Motherwell Railway Station and its environs that were discussed at the charrette, which could form the basis of change for the town centre and its wider image. The first is a proposal by North Lanarkshire Council to complete the ring road by providing a new link from Hamilton Road to Muir Street in front of the station. This is currently the subject of an application for City Deal funding, following which a full business case and design will be developed. Addressing this ‘missing link’ is a long-held aspiration of the Council. The second proposal is under consideration by Abellio, the operators of the Scotrail franchise, and involves a considerable refurbishment and improvement of Motherwell Railway Station. This would provide a better, more modern station, and improved connections to the town centre (via a pedestrian footbridge to the Heritage Centre), the rest of Motherwell and the surrounding area. These enhancements are also likely to include more information on what is available for visitors and improved information on onward transport options (e.g. maps, bus timetables). It should be noted that there was no commitment from any party to a specific scheme but the opportunity for change is not in question. Both of these proposals offer opportunities to improve the experience of visitors to Motherwell and the town’s identity. The discussions during the charrette process highlighted that there is a need to consider both projects as a single ‘town centre’ project and not as a transport project alone. Given the competing demands of taxis, buses, parking, services, cyclists, pedestrians and others, within the context that the current Muir Street layout is generating congestion within the town centre, there is an over-riding need to get this project right and to maximise its potential to create a quality transport hub that functions as core town centre space. The opportunity is available to thoroughly consider the best arrangement of roads, spaces and streets to maximise the benefits for diverse users.

Complementary non-physical placemaking actions One of the charrette objectives was to combine physical and non-physical actions to benefit the town centre, as both are essential components of good placemaking. The table identifies the supporting non-physical projects that should complement each cluster of physical projects. Table 2: Complementary non-physical projects Physical Project Supporting non- Timescale Key Players Funding Cluster physical projects Brandon  Maintenance  Short  Existing retailers  See Table 1 Court/Brandon  Attract and train  Short/Medium Parade/Brandon new stallholders /  Stallholders Street (projects a(i) businesses to c) (recruitment,  Police and other youth enterprise) community planning  Enterprise  Short/Medium partners support / training for existing  Trading stallholders / standards/licensing businesses  NLC/TCA/Motherwell Shopping Centre Garrion Square  Collaborative  Short  Community  See Table 1 (project d) working to Groups/businesses facilitate, (e.g. Funtastica and promote and Motherwell Football market events Club, local schools  Structured co-  Short and community ordinated events groups) calendar / festival  NLC/TCA use (including  NHS Lanarkshire holiday  Police programme and events for families and young people)  Short / Medium

 Marketing / advertising support Brandon  Maintenance  Short  NLC  See Table 1 Street/Windmillhill  Collaborative  Short  NHS Lanarkshire Street (projects e working  Local businesses to g) Town Centre-wide  Single pro-active  Short  NLC  See Table 1 (general and point of contact  TCA including (for advice and  Motherwell Shopping wayfinding) support), i.e. Centre ‘one-stop shop’  Short  Local businesses operated by TCA.  Collaborative working to facilitate, promote and  Short / Medium market business opportunities  Re-launch town centre coordinating forums to develop business networks and promote  Short business to business conversations  Annual Town centre spring clean activity – smartening up of businesses and

properties (and the spaces in- between). Also allows an opportunity for informal networking.  Signpost from / connect to  Marketing / prospectus for vacant development sites

6.0 Delivery The Motherwell Charretteplus has produced suggestions for physical and non-physical projects and changes to aspects of the management of Motherwell Town Centre. The recommendations are practical, pragmatic, positive, affordable and deliverable. The next stage of this process will be to take these proposals and use them to prepare a finalised version of an updated Motherwell Town Centre Action Plan. This will be the responsibility of North Lanarkshire Council, North Lanarkshire Partnership, and their partners. North Lanarkshire Council and Partnership cannot deliver the necessary changes alone, and success will depend on partnership working and the buy-in of all relevant individuals and organisations. The Council and Motherwell Local Area Partnership will undoubtedly have important roles in leading and facilitating delivery, and there are a number of other key partners - including Motherwell Shopping Centre, Town Centre Activities Ltd. and NHS Lanarkshire – whose participation will be critical for success. The proposed projects can be used as briefs to progress physical works. These could take place across a variety of timescales depending on cost, complexity and the respective Community Planning partners and landowners that would need to be involved in any design and construction process. Improved management systems and procedures will likewise be dependent on relevant partners working together to achieve improved practice.

Appendices 1 - Children and young people’s participation report 2 - Potential charrette physical projects not progressed 3 - Pre-charrette comments 4 - Follow-up delivery presentation write-up 5 - Photos of charrette material 6 - Qualitative overview of Motherwell Town Centre 7 - Centrality study

Appendix 1 - Children and young people’s participation report In May and June 2015, three sessions were carried out with a range of school-aged people. This involved a session that included representatives of three local primary schools, a session with Motherwell’s Youth Voice organisation (a group of students of various ages from across Motherwell’s secondary school), and a session with a mixture of pupils from years S1 and S2 at Dalziel High School. The objective of these sessions was to introduce the children to the Motherwell Charretteplus®, explain why it is happening, gather their views on what is positive and negative about the town centre, the types of people who use it most and least, and their ideas for improving the town centre. This was done through a range of exercises that varied slightly across the groups (due to the age of the participants and the time we had allocated). All sessions involved the participants marking their liked, disliked and important places on a map of the town centre, discussing different types of users of the town centre, and ideas for its improvement. These ideas varied from small to large-scale proposals for change. This report details the outputs from the three groups and draws together some of the emerging themes to be taken forward in the Charretteplus® event. Who uses Motherwell town centre most and least? Both groups of teenagers generally agreed that the town centre is used most by young people and by the elderly, and for the primary school children, they felt that the elderly use it most. All three groups conceded that no tourists come to Motherwell, and it is not particularly good for cyclists. When it came to whether the town centre is good for disabled people, there were a lot of mixed responses, but not many participants said they saw many disabled people around the town centre. This suggests that young people and the elderly are a key captive audience for the town centre, and the main areas for improvement would be to improve it for cyclists, disabled people, and possibly consider whether there are tourist attractions that could be better promoted. Motherwell town centre likes and dislikes A number of questions were asked of the three groups regarding their likes and dislikes. The participants were asked to annotate maps of the town centre, and mark on what they like, dislike, think is important, or any particular information they wished to tell us about the town. Some students, particularly at the high school session, made distinctions between things they liked and loved, or disliked and hated. Therefore, for the purpose of simplifying the information, for both the primary and secondary school outputs, these have been split into positives and negatives. The Youth Voice group took a slightly different approach and marked on the maps what they and people of their age use most and what they use least, whilst the details of likes and dislikes were examined more in an open discussion with the participants. Below are graphical representations of the outputs from this exercise, and a brief summary of their main points from each group. Primary Schools The primary school children were particularly fond of their friend’s homes, Duchess Park, McDonalds, the train station, Asda and the library.

Figure 1 A Wordle of the primary school children's likes. The larger the word, the more people liked it.

Figure 2 A map of the most positive things in Motherwell town centre, as reported by primary school pupils. The things the primary school children most disliked were the town centre shopping provision, and one thing that particularly stands out for the younger age group is the dislike of busy roads and the amount of car parks in the town centre. They were also fairly negative about the leisure provision at The Zone.

Figure 3 A Wordle of the primary school children's dislikes. The larger the word, the more people disliked it.

Figure 4 A map of the most negative things in Motherwell town centre, as reported by primary school pupils. Secondary School The secondary school pupils were most positive about their own school, Aquatec, some of the shops in the town centre, McDonalds, and their friend’s homes.

Figure 5 A Wordle of the secondary school pupil's likes. The larger the word, the more people liked it.

Figure 6 A map of the most positive things in Motherwell town centre, as reported by high school pupils. Dalziel high school was also the most noted negative thing about the town centre. There was also a lot of negativity towards the provision of shops in the town centre and the general look of the buildings here. The dislike of the exterior and provision of activities also extended to the Dalzell steel works and area around it, which have little for young people to do. Many students also mentioned Duchess Park in a negative light.

Figure 7 A Wordle of the secondary school pupil’s dislikes. The larger the word, the more people disliked it.

Figure 8 A map of the most negative things in Motherwell town centre, as reported by high school pupils. Youth Voice In listing the things most used by them, the Youth Voice group were enthusiastic about the train station, various eateries (Hup Lees, McDonalds etc.), the library (more because it’s a good space than because they enjoy using it), the war memorial and Aquatec. Many of the participants were also of legal drinking age and detailed some of the pubs they enjoy visiting.

Figure 9 A Wordle of the things the Youth Voice reported using most. The larger the word, the more people reported using it.

Figure 10 A map of the things most used by the Youth Voice group The things least used by the group were the heritage centre, the industrial estate in the East, the area North West of the town centre, the war memorial, TA centre and the YMCA building, which they felt, could be put to better uses. It is important to note that due to the range of responses to the exercise, some of the most used things are also some of the least used things by other participants. Therefore, there is quite a breadth of opinions about the area.

In discussions around the maps, they also pointed to issues around safety, particularly in the subways, the early closing time of shops, poor lighting on Brandon Parade, and the general look and feel of the town.

Figure 11 A Wordle of the things the Youth Voice reported using least. The larger the word, the more people reported not using it.

Figure 12 A map of the things least used by the Youth Voice group Ideas and proposals for change A wide range of views for changes were presented at the three sessions. The images below show an example of a primary and secondary school display of ideas and proposals. The facilitators noted down the ideas and proposals from the youth voice rather than getting the

participants to write these out themselves, as this session was much more informal than the school-based sessions.

Figure 13 Some of the ideas noted down by primary school pupils

Figure 14 Some of the ideas noted down for changes by secondary school pupils This section will run through the main themes from each group of participants.

Primary School The ideas from the primary school children related most to shopping and leisure uses. They were asked to note down as many ideas as they could think of, which yielded many responses, and can best be summed up as a wider range of exciting activities that are more aimed towards younger age groups. After this exercise, each group was asked to develop and present one main idea they would like to see in the town centre. These were:

 2 proposals for a Fair Trade Centre/Supermarket.  An idea for a kids cinema where films would be shown for children to watch whilst their parents shop. The films would be chosen by popular vote by the children attending on that day. This could be split up to cater for various age groups throughout the day. The proposed location was to put it above the main shopping area.  An idea for an adventure park with a range of activities for all age groups, proposed to be put above the main shopping area and be used by children as their parents shop.  A ‘Kids Zone’ somewhere in the town centre where there would be a wide range of activities for children to take part in whilst their parents shop. Other smaller scale improvements included more bins, regular litter picks, and more police on the street, more colours, artwork, murals and nice street furniture around the town centre.

Secondary School The main theme for improvements from the secondary school pupils was to provide more hang out spaces for teenagers, but also generally more cafes and leisure spaces for all ages. A major problem established by the teenagers was a lack of spaces they could meet friends and be indoors, without the need to spend a lot of money on food and drink. They also noted the negativity with which other people treat them when they hang around in the town centre, and how this decreases their enjoyment of using it. The proposals they came up with reflect these concerns:

 Cover over the shopping area so that it is protected from poor weather.  More presence of coffee shops to be used by all such as Costa and Starbucks.  A café/hang out space that charges a small entrance fee, but otherwise does not require the purchase of food and drinks. This could have spaces to relax, Wi-Fi, charging points for phones and laptops and a range of cheap food and drink that caters to all e.g. more vegetarian and halal food options. Students also requested that there be no smoking areas in the town centre and more to attract young children and families. For instance, there could be more painting, more flowers and plants around, and there was a suggestion for a nature themed play park in the town centre. Youth Voice The Youth Voice group focused more on a range of smaller scale improvements to the town centre. For instance, they suggested extending the streetscape improvements of Muir Street across the town centre, improving the design of the bins and new benches recently put in place. Other ideas were:

 Rolling seats so that benches could be used even after heavy rain.

 Better lighting for Brandon parade.  Painting the town centre steps.  Christmas lighting.  Improving the quality and relevance of public are. For instance, at the car park near Wetherspoons there could be a collage of local residents’ faces.  Better advertising for community activities as many participants were unaware of the various things happening throughout the year. However, there were also some larger scale proposals that corroborate what the secondary school pupils suggested. These were:

 Soft play for teens.  Cover over shopping parade.  Go-karting facilities.  Improvements to MnDs theme park, particularly access as it can currently only be reached by car, and most young people cannot or do not drive.

Conclusion Each group came up with a wide range of positives and negatives about the town centre and many potential solutions. It is clear that the three different groups use the town centre differently, and amongst them, have different ideas about how to prioritise its improvements. It is important to note that whilst similar themes around shopping and leisure emerge from all groups, the ideas and particular concerns were markedly different, and therefore it is unlikely that one single solution can be found to include all children and young people. As well as age, there were clear differences between individuals’ perceptions and ideas of the town centre, and this should be taken into consideration in the Charretteplus® event.

Appendix 2 Potential charrette physical projects not progressed A number of other physical projects were suggested and considered during the Charretteplus®. Many improvements can me made but low cost, high impact measures should be prioritised in the short term. This has motivated the choice of projects a(i)-i. Those suggestions not progressed are included below.

 Connecting the two halves of Merry Street across Menteith Road (the ring road).  Greater use of the garden space at the Motherwell Heritage Centre.  Improving the visibility and appearance of the listed Motherwell Baptist Church on Windmill Hill Street.  Improving the car park on the other side of the railway track from Brandon Court.  Development of the gap site on the corner of Windmillhill Street and Camp Street.  Greater public use of the space in front of Motherwell Cathedral on Coursington Road (see image below).  A central hub to coordinate the activities/events calendar and promote town centre information, e.g. Shopmobility service. It could also become a training and development area for new and existing businesses.  Residential, retail and café opportunities on: o Barrie Street – currently advertising hoardings. o South of West Hamilton Road.  Commissioning community artwork on the rear façade of the Pound World building on the approach to town centre.  Improvement of the green space between GLO Centre and the Railway Station.  Improving access to Merry Street.  Roofing over Brandon Parade.  Better lighting along Brandon Parade.  More venues for young people to interact, e.g. soft play and youth club facilities. Additionally, it was felt that there was a general need to encourage a ‘safe and flourishing environment for residents’.

Appendix 3 - Pre-charrette comments

A town centre that attracts all ages

 Motherwell is the first Dementia-Friendly Town Centre in Scotland. This reflects dementia-friendly customer service training for businesses and a dementia-friendly garden on the edge of the town centre. These improvements were completed by NLC Regeneration and Social Work and Alzheimer Scotland;  There are issues of anti-social behaviour from young teenagers, particularly focussed around the Cross in the vicinity of the McDonalds corner, the ground floor entrance to Brandon Court, and the rear access to commercial properties around that car park (security at the backs of commercial properties seems to be an issue);  The police say that there is little actual crime, rather more anti-social behaviour which deters other people. This is concentrated in the early evenings from Thursday to Sunday. When the police mount a special action plan it displaces the activity elsewhere. There is a lack of funding for dedicated town centre officers;  Some have identified antisocial behaviour related to methadone dispensing from chemists around the town centre;  There is some history of theft from people using the cash machines in Brandon Parade but this was not mentioned by police as a notable problem;  There is little to do in the evenings for people of any age, beyond a small number of pubs;  Motherwell town centre’s shopping offer is perceived as catering for lower incomes, whilst those on higher incomes choose to go to Hamilton, Glasgow Fort or Glasgow city centre;  The shopping centre has free Wi-Fi, although coverage is not universal;  Litter and gum are common causes of complaint to Councillors;  More could be made of connections to Strathclyde Park, which is a regional attraction;  There is desire for a community centre in the town centre; and  There are concerns that because the redevelopment of Ravenscraig (including a new town centre) is a strategic priority, Motherwell town centre suffers from lack of attention. There is some feeling that there is a lack of vision/aspiration for the town centre.

Town centre living  Brandon Court tower is a popular place to live, marred only by reported antisocial behaviour in the car park around the ground floor entrance (in the back doorways to commercial properties) and on the roof of the Shopping Centre/railway bridge by the first floor entrance;  Most residents are older. Although some disabled parking spaces have been created in the limited space around the base of the tower, most residents still have to park across the railway;  The centre of Motherwell has always been quite a desirable place to live, being very conveniently located. There were questions about whether there could be more housing created in the town centre; and

Town centre activity, business and enterprise  Motherwell Shopping Centre, the privately owned outdoor shopping mall in the town centre which encompasses much of the retail core of the town centre, was taken over by Chester Properties in 2010. The Shopping Centre has since invested £500,000 in filling vacancies (20 new shops have opened), upgrading their property and organising events/activities to reinvigorate the Shopping Centre. A 7% increase in footfall was reported in 2014. New businesses opening this year include Pure Gym, Farmfoods, Costa and KFC;  KFC has just opened a new outlet in the car park at the southern end of Brandon Parade (near Asda). This is slightly controversial as it has reduced the amount of car parking available;  Small businesses and start-ups are keen to get more support – e.g. to set up businesses, training, access to finance;  Town centre events are welcomed, but businesses outwith the privately owned and managed Motherwell Shopping Centre are keen to have some events (e.g. Merry St, Windmillhill St; etc.)  There is a low vacancy rate within the Shopping Centre, but it is higher on Brandon Street and Windmillhill Street towards the Civic Centre. Businesses along that stretch in particular complain that there are increasing closures and parking is problematic (both on-street and at the rear);  BIDs were considered in North Lanarkshire 2-3 years ago and there was little interest at that time in making a BID application;

Getting to and moving around the town centre  The whole town centre is designated as an Air Quality Management Area, largely related to traffic congestion. Some work has started on reducing emissions from buses and encouraging more cycling/walking, but more progress is needed before the Air Quality Management Area designation can be removed;  There is a perception that the underpass by Wetherspoons on Merry St is unsafe. Other underpasses are located at Brandon St and West Hamilton Street;  Crossing the ring road for pedestrians is an issue flagged up in the existing Town Centre Action Plan. Anecdotally, crossing from the Aquatec leisure centre (north of Hope Street) is particularly difficult. There is a lot of pedestrian movement between Asda, Aldi and the Shopping Centre, using both at-grade crossings and the underpasses;  A lack of convenient bus stops around the ring road is a common cause of complaint to Councillors;  A lack of available parking is a common cause of complaint to Councillors;  The NHS is keen to explore more ways of helping people lead healthier and more active lives – e.g. hire bikes, other places for young people to go beyond McDonalds and KFC, outdoor gyms;  As part of the City Deal proposal a new parking deck is proposed over the existing car park behind the Heritage Centre on High Rd, with improved pedestrian links across the pedestrian bridge from Ladywell Rd to the Railway Station. This would improve park and ride facilities;  There are two projects which NLC are hoping to obtain City Deal funding for, which are at the initial business case stage. These are:

o A new road between the Hamilton Road railway bridge roundabout and the front of Motherwell Railway Station. The one-way system on Muir Street, the abuse of bus bays and the Hamilton Road/West Hamilton Street roundabout seem to be the biggest causes of traffic congestion. o The creation of a new dual carriageway link from the roundabout at the Civic Centre, across the railway line to the east and into Ravenscraig – a continuation of Airbles Road and part of a new north-south link between the M74, Ravenscraig, Eurocentral and Cumbernauld. This is beyond the scope of the charrette.

Other notable points  NLC and Community Planning partners are not generally looking for any new buildings in Motherwell. Most opportunities are around reworking the existing portfolio, e.g. shared use/co-location of existing buildings between partners (probably excluding the fire service). The CPP has some experience of co-location, e.g. NHS/NLC in Coatbridge town centre.  NLC’s strategy is to move out of leased accommodation (e.g. Scott House and the contact centre above Wetherspoons, both on Merry St) and consolidate activity in Council-owned premises (e.g. Dalziel Building and the Civic Centre). These have some spare capacity and will be kept long term. Existing surplus leased space could become commercial or residential use when it becomes available.  Health and social care integration is just beginning. The Health Centre on Windmillhill St is running out of space but there is no budget for larger premises. Closer working with third sector and NLC (e.g. befriending for isolated people) would help to reduce demand for clinical services.

Appendix 4 - Follow-up delivery presentation write-up It was explained that the Charretteplus® process was about looking at ‘what should be fixed’ and devising solutions. These would utilise existing assets to support activities and public life. It was argued that there are problems of disjointedness, both physical and managerial. There are also some existing assets. Based on that disjointedness and those existing assets, a number of projects, both physical and non-physical, were being proposed. In setting out the Brandon Court projects, it was noted that similar schemes exist elsewhere and that there was a combination of public and private sections. At this point concerns were expressed by the audience about the possibility of vandalism and the need for security at night. In response it was explained that the projects are intended to increase footfall and create natural surveillance. With regards to the proposed use of the Garrion Square outdoor space for performances, it was argued that there are enough community groups at present to put on a public event at least once a month. It was noted that the proposal was not so much physical as managerial, as the infrastructure was already largely there, and that it was in areas of organisation, coordination and obtaining required licenses that work would be required. It was explained that the intention was to attract more people into the town, increasing footfall. In explaining the proposals for Brandon Street, it was noted that this would require more detailed design work than the previous proposals featured, and would be more expensive to create. This highlighted the need for partnership working, with NLC working with local businesses and the NHS, for example, to fund and manage change. It was emphasised that the projects shown in the presentation had been chosen for their feasibility and deliverability. Once the proposals had been set out by the PAS team, NLC took over the presentation to discuss deliverability. It was emphasising that everybody has a role to play in delivery, and it was noted that the projects vary in scale, complexity and time scale. It was also emphasised that there are limitations on what the Council can do, given diverse land ownership and the need to work with partners. It was set out which projects could be realised in the short term. The most immediately achievable was the wayfinding and signage, which could be developed quickly. The next was business support and advice. It was pointed out that there is currently a lot of support available, and that what is needed is a means of packaging it up. This can be done at little cost to the Council. Showcasing talent was the final short-term project. This could be achieved with TCA’s experience and knowledge of licensing, although this would require additional staff and funding (including a budget for licenses). The Council would like it to be local talent that was showcased, starting small-scale and then seeing how things develop. They stated that organising events was not an established role of the Council, and that it would therefore require partnership working to achieve. In the medium-term were placed the Brandon Court projects. It was noted that the recent change in ownership of the Shopping Centre introduced some uncertainty, and that there was a need to establish a relationship with the new owners and determine their attitude to the proposals. Regarding the proposals for Windmillhill Street, it was noted that a similar idea was tried in Wishaw and received a mixed response. NLC want to examine the project and issues of cost and technical feasibility.

There was then an explanation of the time schedule for the TCAP. A report would be submitted to the Scottish Government, and the revised TCAP would be published and seek NLC approval. Project development, consultation and the implementation of short-term projects would occur in 2015/16, as would the development, but not the delivery, of medium- term projects. PAS then noted the difficulties of differing views, ownership and interests, and asked the audience for their opinions on whether the proposals were ‘the right package to be taken forward?’ Beginning with Garrion Square, there followed discussion with the audience. It was felt that the square was ‘a waste of space at the moment’, and that currently local events were not being well publicised. It was felt that performances ‘would get people getting in to the town’, including ‘kids with drum kits in a garage, their parents and grandparents’ and that the Council ‘definitely need to get that project going’. Regarding the proposals in general, there were concerns about community safety and security, given ‘police budget cuts’ and ‘no on the beat policing’. It was felt that ‘people should be safe to walk through the town centre’ and that the ‘litter problem’ needed to be addressed. The issue of accessibility was much discussed, with the audience question the disability- friendly nature of proposals and noting the need to consult with the access panel. In response PAS confirmed that when designs were being worked up that designers would work with the access panel. On the topic of signage, it argued that current signage was not up to scratch, with signs on Windmillhill Street and elsewhere hindering movement and blocking pavements. It was argued that new signage needed to ‘make people realise that the high street doesn’t just stop at the end of Brandon Parade’ (i.e. that it continues with Brandon Street and Windmillhill Street). There followed discussion on the topic of delivery, and the difficulties posed by multiple agencies. NLC responded that much depended on the market and private developers, and that the Council could only do so much. There was subsequently a lengthy discussion of traffic and transport issues. There was opposition to the changes that had been made to Muir Street, and the impact in terms of traffic jams caused by taxis and buses in the constrained space. There were also concerns voiced about the lack of parking at the train station and across the town centre more generally. It was suggested that a means of addressing parking was to ‘divide it into short, medium and long-stay car parks and properly police them’. The Council stated that it was looking at the decriminalisation of parking enforcement and the introduction of traffic wardens. There was then a discussion of maintenance issue, as it was pointed out that improvements may be made but not maintained. It was pointed out that a great deal of difference can be made through simple cleanliness, scrubbing and painting surfaces. The example of the Commonwealth Games was mentioned, and the difference that that had made to the appearance and attractiveness of the town and to Glasgow, as well as generating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. It was suggested that a cleaning programme be established, and that by working in groups, results could be obtained cheaply and quickly. PAS agreed and mentioned its suggestion of a ‘spring clean’ for Motherwell.

Appendix 5 – Photos of charrette material

Appendix 6 - Qualitative overview of Motherwell Town Centre

Appendix 7 - Centrality study