The Chief Officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership has highlighted the critical need to put place at the heart of economic transformation.
Kimberley Guthrie spoke of her optimism about the transformative work taking place in towns across the country as she welcomed guests to Scotland’s Towns Partnership’s Annual General Meeting and Towns Tea Party on September 11th.
She shared the organisation’s focus on driving forward the reinvigoration and repurposing of places to attract investment and shape them to become more sustainable, inclusive and successful places to live, work and visit.
She said: “Our towns and places are at the heart of economic growth.
“We know from our work with stakeholders and partners that ensuring people can live well locally has huge potential – not just to unlock and retain spend locally – but creating accessible, inclusive places that people can take pride in has a huge impact on overall wellbeing and ensuring our towns are fit for the future”.
It was a sentiment echoed by STP Chair Professor Leigh Sparks as he highlighted a number of key achievements by the organisation over the past year.
These included continued support for Scotland’s Improvement Districts, successful partnerships between STP and stakeholders, including international collaborations in Ireland and Sweden, as they sought to learn from Scotland. He pointed to the ongoing impact of the Scotland Loves Local campaign and Gift Card, which continues to deliver economic benefit to local businesses and services, and build community wealth.
He shared the success of the second Scotland Loves Local Week, which saw more than 60 MSPs and MPs getting involved and raising awareness of the transformational difference that choosing local can have on their own communities.
Addressing the challenges facing towns, Prof Sparks said: “There are still challenges ahead and we need to continue to find new ways of doing things and driving innovation and wealth locally.”
Attendees also heard from Architect Rod Duncan of jmarchitects, who showcased the positive impact that’s possible through creative change with a case study of The Linen Quarter in Dunfermline.
The repurposing of a historically important central site and a much-loved A-listed building into town centre accommodation was heralded as an innovative example of how heritage and assets can be restored to ensure they can deliver for their communities, whilst preserving their significance and history for years to come.
You can find out more about the Linen Quarter Project here.
