THIS PAPER RELATES TO ITEM 11 CLACKMANNANSHIRE COUNCIL ON THE AGENDA
Report to: Scrutiny Committee
Date: 21 January 2010
Subject: Imagine Alloa - Alloa Town Centre Regeneration
Report by: Head of Strategic Policy
1.0 Purpose
1.1 This report brings the Committee up to date with the Imagine Alloa project.
2.0 Recommendations
2.1 It is recommended that the Committee notes progress to date in implementing Imagine Alloa.
3.0 Considerations - TCRF & the Bid
3.1 In April 2009 the Scottish Government announced the Town Centre Regeneration Fund (TCRF) and invited bids for capital works to improve town centres. The terms of the fund were that only capital expenditure was eligible and that any award of funding had to be spent by the end of March 2010 (subsequently - in late December 2009 - this condition has been revised so that capital has to be committed but not necessarily spent).
3.2 In Clackmannanshire, plans already existed within the Council for proposed improvements to Alloa town centre and the Clacks Alliance had agreed to fund a small pilot project to support cultural regeneration of the town centre. When the TCRF was announced, therefore, the Council and the Alliance were well positioned to develop a bid to the TCRF based on clear strategic vision for Alloa.
3.3 A bid for £2.8M was submitted to the TCRF by the deadline of 5 June 2009 and the Alliance agreed to contribute £500,000 from Fairer Scotland should the TCRF bid be successful. An information and consultation event was held on 2 June 2009 to which elected members, Alliance partners, businesses, community and voluntary sector interests were invited. In addition, a number of bilateral discussions took place with key partners, all of whom were positive in their support for the proposed bid. Unfortunately, however, the very short turnaround time for submitting a bid (under 6 weeks from the time application forms and guidance were published to the date of submission) meant that consultation opportunities were more limited than otherwise would have been preferred.
83 3.4 In August notification was received that the bid from Clackmannanshire had been awarded £2M, which was the second highest of 36 awards made in the first tranche (the highest was £2.2M which was awarded to Ayr; 30 projects were awarded funding in the second tranche, the highest being £1.8M to Clydebank).
4.0 Elements of the Bid
4.1 The ambition expressed in Imagine Alloa was: "Our bid to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund is a rounded proposal which integrates traditional streetscape and public realm improvements with public art and the development of a creative business community to transform Alloa town centre and to create a sense of place and identity unique in Scotland."
4.2 The vision was: "to provide a unique identity for Alloa as an arts town by:
a) enhancing the public realm and streetscape
b) placing significant works of public art in Alloa Town Centre
c) undertaking a programme of shop front enhancements (with a related arts/ heritage theme)."
4.3 The main geographic focus for these works are: Primrose Street, Shillinghill, Drysdale Street and the top of High Street. These areas were chosen because of their strategic significance within the town centre as well as the condition of the public realm and streetscape. Key aspects within each of the elements of the programme:
4.4 Public Realm & Streetscape: this is the largest financial element of Imagine Alloa at around £1.5M. It includes new granite surfaces, landscaping, lighting, street furniture and signage. The area at the top of High Street is being tiered and made more accessible; Primrose Street, Shillinghill and Drysdale Street are being revitalised to provide improved connections from recently re- opened Alloa Railway Station and King Street to the town centre.
4.5 Public Art: the majority of the Fairer Scotland Fund award is being utilised for public art given that this spend is by and large revenue (some commissioned sculptures being the exception). Over 20 artists have been commissioned for specific projects within the overall programme and there is also a significant element of community engagement.
4.6 Shop Front Enhancements: the main focus for this aspect of the programme is Primrose Street as it offers the opportunity to undertake comprehensive work across a very compact area. All property owners in the Street have been invited to participate in the scheme which will involve them working with artists on specific designs for their shop fronts. These designs will be based on a consistent colour and materials palette. £200,000 is allocated to this aspect of the programme and this will fund fabric repairs to the shop fronts including replacement gutters and downpipes, rot repairs, render repairs, window repairs, external paint work, and replace sign boards with the integration and the addition of design/decorative art work aspects to the shop fronts.
84 4.7 More detail of the various elements of the programme are contained in the background papers listed at the end of this report, copies of which have been provided in each Group room.
5.0 Progress to Date
5.1 At the time of writing this report, broad progress on the main elements of Imagine Alloa was as follows:
Public Realm & Streetscape
5.2 The public realm work is progressing on schedule to date. New surfaces which are complete are shown in the drawing in Appendix 1 to this report and work is progressing on areas which are suitable for working on in winter conditions. The contractor will take all measures contractually necessary to ensure the March completion date is met; however, given the recent exceptional cold spell, there may impact on the timetable for the programme of works.
Relevant Clacksweb Links
http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/imaginealloass/ http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/site/documents/environment/imaginealloaplansandfuturephases/
Public Art
5.3 Good progress is being made on the various large commissions (e.g. the Rob Mullholland piece which will be placed in High Street), as well as on the designs for the shop fronts. A number of artists have also been commissioned to work with communities on a range of projects. In addition, liaison is taking place with Clackmannanshire Arts Forum.
5.4 A range of art schools across 8 higher education institutions are involved in an academic link programme and commissioned artists are working in Clackmannanshire secondary schools on architecture and digital media projects.
5.5 Business development in creative arts is being supported by the establishment of production stations (glass and ceramics), programmes to promote self-employment and social enterprise in the creative industries.
Relevant Clacksweb Links
http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/iasculpture http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/iastudents/ http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/iacommunities/ http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/iaartistinresidence/
Shop Fronts
5.6 Work is due to begin on shop fronts in Primrose Street by the end of January with the target for completion the end of March. Contact has been made with all owners and occupiers and so far there is a 60% response rate (all of these bar one has been positive). There is close
85 liaison with the town centre BID in relation to this aspect of the programme.
5.7 Pre contract procedures are progressing well, and the art elements to the shop fronts will be co-ordinated as appropriate with the fabric repairs.
Relevant Clacksweb Links
http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/iashopfronts/
6.0 Scrutiny & Monitoring Arrangements
6.1 The Scrutiny Committee will be particularly interested in the expected outcomes of Imagine Alloa and how it is intended to measure and monitor the achievement of these.
6.2 A key aspect of the application process for Imagine Alloa was demonstrating that the proposal contributed to the achievement of SOA outcomes and the objectives of a range of local strategies, including the Clackmannanshire Economic Development Strategy (Building Clackmannanshire) and the Local Plan.
6.3 A range of both quantitative and qualitative indicators have been derived which relate to the various outcomes and these are listed in more detail in Appendix 2 to this report. The qualitative evaluation is being undertaken in 3 ways:
• survey of individuals visiting Alloa (baseline survey has been undertaken by MORI and will be repeated in spring)
• augmentation of the Clacks 1000 pool to include a sub-set of individuals resident in the town centre
• establishment of a Business Panel (similar to the Clacks 1000 but for businesses rather than individuals).
6.4 In addition, the national framework How Good Is Our Community Learning? will be used to evaluate some of the community engagement aspects of Imagine Alloa.
6.5 Reports on performance against these various indicators are required by the Scottish Government and the Alliance as a condition of funding. In addition, regular financial monitoring is undertaken within the Council by the Project Team (see next Section of this report) to ensure that financial reporting requirements are met. Regular claims and progress reports are submitted to the Scottish Government in relation to the £2M award and the Fairer Scotland £500,000 is subject to the well established financial monitoring arrangements which exist for all programmes funded from this source.
7.0 Management Arrangements
7.1 When the TCRF was announced a multi-disciplinary Project Team was established to develop the bid for Imagine Alloa. This Team, now augmented
86 by a representative from the Town Centre BID, meets regularly to manage and monitor the implementation of the programme. Team members are:
• Elaine McPherson (CEX) (Chair) • Julie Hamilton (D&E) • Ninian Sommerville (D&E) • Kathleen O'Neill (ECS) • Craig Machan (CD) • Kish Parmar (CD) • Ruth Fry (CEX) • Ian Fraser (CEX) • Andrew Mitchell (BID)
7.2 Given the enforced pace of the project and the need for ongoing communications, the Team has commissioned additional external support for this aspect of managing the programme. The presence of an officer from the town centre BID on the Team provides an additional mechanism for communicating with stakeholders.
7.3 A drop-in facility exists in Primrose St for members of the public or businesses to find out more about Imagine Alloa or to give feedback. This is staffed by the town centre BID on a part-time basis. In addition, The Make Room in Drysdale St, which provides a base for the Artist in Residence and a focal point for community art, is also a source of information and communication. An e newsletter is regularly distributed to businesses and other interested parties and there is a significant amount of information on Clacksweb about Imagine Alloa.
7.4 Inevitably with such a fast-moving project, communications sometimes cannot keep pace with developments; however, ensuring that our various audiences have timeous and relevant information is a priority for the Team.
8.0 Sustainability Implications -
8.1 Imagine Alloa will have a significant positive impact on the built environment of Alloa town centre in terms of:
1) enhancing the quality of the natural and built environment
2) improving Alloa's and Clackmannanshire’s attractiveness as a place to live, visit and invest.
8.2 Specifically, the following aspects of the proposal will contribute to an improved built environment:
• Materials and furniture palette: a limited palette of quality materials applied successfully in previous phases is proposed including silver grey granite flag for walkways, and footways with dark grey cubes used for building trims, infills and margins. Granite setts will be used for shared surfaces and vehicle crossings in footways. Street trees specified are semi-mature box-headed specimens.
87 • Street furniture: more durable stainless steel and polyester powder coated street furniture will continue to provide a fully co-ordinated specification based on previous environmental works around the town centre.
• Shop fronts and fascias: good practice guidelines for shop fronts, in negotiation with owners, will be implemented to eradicate the existing ''patchwork quilt'' effect. Use of unoccupied shops will be part of the public art remit to provide information stations, craft and artist studies, lighting demonstrations, display and exhibition workshops.
• Signs and information: a new efficient signage system will be implemented at all arrival points and within the centre.
• Lighting Strategy: a lighting strategy has also been produced to remove the clutter in the town centre and replace this with lighting on buildings. Feature lighting is proposed for the Public Art programme, the performance/events space in High Street and several of the main buildings in the town centre highlighting the fine detailing to give confidence to the regeneration of the town centre.
8.3 Imagine Alloa has been considered in the context of the requirements of SEA legislation and does not present any significant issues.
9.0 Resource Implications
Financial Details
Imagine Alloa is funded from the TCRF and Fairer Scotland as set out in the report.
Staffing
There are no implications for the Council's establishment arising from this report.
10.0 Exempt Reports
Is this report exempt? No
11.0 Declarations
11.1 The recommendations contained within this report support or implement our Corporate Priorities and Council Policies.
Our Priorities 2008 - 2011 (Please tick ;)
The area has a positive image and attracts people and businesses ; Our communities are more cohesive and inclusive ; People are better skilled, trained and ready for learning and employment ; Our communities are safer ; Vulnerable people and families are supported Substance misuse and its effects are reduced Health is improving and health inequalities are reducing The environment is protected and enhanced for all ;
88 The Council is effective, efficient and recognised for excellence
Council Policies (Please detail)
The Council's Corporate Plan is based on the SOA.
12.0 Equalities Impact
Have you undertaken the required equalities impact assessment to ensure that no groups are adversely affected by the recommendations? Yes
12.1 Works included in Imagine Alloa will make a significant contribution to address basic criteria in relation to disability access and to optimise the number of businesses which are DDA accessible. Full consideration has been given to improving access and circulation for disabled and disadvantaged groups in the Town Centre, including parking, access, surface finishes, shopping and business entrance design, ramps, steps, handrails, seating, lighting, signage, tonal contrasts, planting to define safe routes with colour and smell, cycle areas and crossings.
12.2 In addition to physical access, key to this proposal for Alloa town centre is cultural regeneration which has at its core social inclusion. Cultural activity, including the design and creation of Public Art works, has created a large creative community in Clackmannanshire. Residents come together regardless of age, intellectual ability, health or social circumstance to develop skills with artists of local, national and international reputation.
13.0 Legality
13.1 In adopting the recommendations contained in this report, the Council is acting within its legal powers. Yes
14.0 Appendices
Appendix 1 - Drawing of Works to End Dec 2009 Appendix 2 - Monitoring Outcomes
15.0 Background Papers
1 - Application to Town Centre Regeneration Fund & Supporting Business Case
Author(s)
NAME DESIGNATION TEL NO/EXTENSION Elaine McPherson Head of Service 01259 452013
Approved by
NAME DESIGNATION SIGNATURE Angela Leitch Chief Executive (Signed: A Leitch) Elaine McPherson Head of Service (Signed: E McPherson)
89
90 19.80 19.91 19.94 19.76 20.04 19.95 19.92 19.75 20.15 19.95 19.99 19.74 19.74
20.01 19.72
20.00
19.72 20.31 Grass 20.04 19.67 19.65 19.71 19.64 19.73 19.73 19.65 19.73 20.35 20.08 19.64 19.75 19.67 19.75
19.76 20.13 19.49 19.49 19.49 19.46 19.50 19.74 19.48 19.45 19.70 19.59 19.42 20.45 20.18 19.79 19.62 19.40
19.75 19.62 19.41 19.77 19.81 20.48 20.22 19.65 19.77 19.44
19.69 20.26 19.50 19.82 20.52 19.80
19.74
19.83 19.87 19.21 19.58 20.31 19.23 19.23 20.56 19.79 19.22 19.24 19.88 19.25 19.26 19.26 19.88 Key: 19.89 19.31 19.27 19.67
19.84 19.90 20.60 20.35 19.30 TL 19.50 TL 19.37 19.34 19.95
19.89 19.75 19.35 TL 19.35 19.40 20.64 19.37 20.39 19.36 19.99 19.30 19.35 19.35 TL
19.37 19.94 19.47
20.68 20.02
19.97 19.48 19.49 19.50 19.54 20.45 20.71 19.48 19.49 19.45
19.44 19.52 TL 19.52TL 20.07 19.55 19.51 Areas complete by 23/12/09. 20.02 19.62 19.46 20.49 TL 19.69 19.51 20.75 19.59
TL 19.56 20.12
20.08
19.66
20.55 TL 19.55 20.78 19.50 Suitable for pedestrian use. TL 19.56
20.18 TL
19.60 20.13 19.71
19.64 20.60 19.63 19.76 20.24 19.58 [subject to weather conditions] 19.89
20.18 TL 19.81
19.66
TL 19.69 19.68 20.64 19.81 19.94 20.28
20.22 Flowers
19.87 20.00
20.33 19.72 TL 19.98 20.27
19.63 19.90 20.06 TL 19.85
19.79
Grass 20.37 TL 20.04 20.31 20.10 19.90 19.95
20.40 20.14 20.35 19.99 20.04 Areas sealed off during Christmas TL 20.16
20.07 Trees & Shrubs 20.11 20.19
20.04 20.06
20.05 TL 20.13 shutdown.
20.25 TL 20.18
20.28
20.12 TL 20.23
20.39 20.23
20.31
20.19 20.46 TL 20.36
Grass 20.32 20.34 TL 20.32 Tarmac
20.38
20.25 20.36 20.36
20.40 TL 20.59
20.43 Pedestrian routes available during
20.46 20.48 TL 20.54
TL 20.56 Grass 21.02 Tarmac Christmas shutdown.
Footpath 21.09
TL 20.73
Tarmac
20.65
TL 20.78 Footpath
20.71
20.76
Gate TL 21.25 TL 20.88
20.78
20.85 Temporary ramps installed.
20.85
20.91
20.95
20.97 TL 21.15
20.90 20.96
21.15 20.99 Minimal crowd barrier left erected 20.97
21.03 TL 21.24 ensuring open/clear routes are
TL 21.29
21.15 maintained.
21.27
TL 21.39
TL 21.42
TL 21.48 TL 21.33
TL 21.48
21.24
21.39
TL 21.49
TL 21.52
21.29
TL 21.51 21.39
19.12
TL 21.54
19.50
Tarmac TL 21.41
19.51 21.25
TL 21.57 Footpath Stump
BOB
21.30
TBG 0.80
19.56
Tarmac Tarmac TBG 0.70
Footpath
19.65
21.08
Gass
21.09 TBG 0.70
Cobbles
TL 21.16
20.15
TO B
20.13
"Reproduced be permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right 2009. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100020783"
TBG 0.55
TBG 0.50
CLACKMANNANSHIRE COUNCIL
ALLOA TOWN CENTRE JOB NO 1728
PROPOSED CHRISTMAS DRAWING NO: 1728/DIAGRAM-3 SHUTDOWN ARRANGEMENTS
DECEMBER 2009 SCALE: 1: 1000
IAN WHITE ASSOCIATES LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS 3A FORREST ROAD STIRLING FK8 1UH TEL01786 446446 FAX01786 446441 [email protected] 91
92 APPENDIX 2
MONITORING OUTCOMES
Imagine Alloa and the SOA
The proposal to regeneration Alloa directly impacts on the following priority outcomes of the Alliance:
• the area has a positive image and attracts people and business • people are better skilled, trained and ready for learning and employment • the environment is protected and enhanced for all • our communities are safer • our communities are more cohesive and inclusive.
However, by increasing job opportunities and providing wider access to a range of local services this proposal will contribute to the achievement of all nine outcomes.
Imagine Alloa and Building Clacks
The four central aims of this framework as set out below are supported by this bid for Town Centre Regeneration Fund monies:
• to increase the number of jobs in Clackmannanshire and widen the range • and quality of those jobs • to equip Clackmannanshire people to create and compete for jobs • to create an environment and culture within which enterprise can flourish • to build on the attractiveness of the area and its development potential.
Illustrative Indicators
Retail leakage % people who think Alloa has an attractive town centre Business start-ups - increase the number of VAT % people who shop in Alloa town centre registered businesses Business survival - decrease the number of % local businesses confident of business businesses deregistering for VAT growth in the next 12 months Employment by industry (manufacturing, Perceptions of quality of built environment construction, retail, wholesale and hotels) Clackmannanshire tourism revenue Views on range of local services/facilities % working age people economically active Views on need to travel outwith Alloa/Clacks % Employment rate Things that businesses/residents like and dislike about Alloa Town Centre % datazones in Clacks most income deprived % people visiting Clacks once or twice a month (outwith Clacks) % people reporting that Clacks has attractive places to visit and things to do
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