Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 16 March 2011
16 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Denny Town Centre Regeneration
I welcome a number of the local residents of Denny and Dunipace who have come here for this debate because it is on a very important issue in their community.
On the banks of the River Carron in my constituency are the two small towns of Denny and Dunipace. Together they have a population of around 15,000 and are the second-largest population centre in my constituency.
In 1877, the villages of Denny and Dunipace were joined to form a single burgh and have remained that way ever since. However, for many centuries they were quite separate communities that lay on opposite banks of the River Carron. Tradition has it that in the 13th century, the priest in Dunipace was the uncle of William Wallace, and that the great man himself made many visits to Dunipace at that time. Denny was little more than a small village until the middle of the 19th century, but it has a long history that goes back to the medieval period, and it played a role in the wars of independence.
Like many communities in the central belt, both Denny and Dunipace were greatly affected by industrialisation in the 19th century. Linen production and calico painting attracted workers from across the district and the population of the area continued to rise in the 20th century.
New technologies brought decline to and, subsequently, closure of many of those industries. The area then turned to blackband ironstone mining to feed the iron industry in Falkirk. Coal mining, iron founding, brickworks and chemical works all played their part in the industrial make-up of the Denny and Dunipace area.
In more recent years, the soft waters of the River Carron were favoured by paper mills, which saw the Carrongrove paper mill being established—exporting paper across the world and employing hundreds of men and women locally. However, the paper mill has closed.
The communities of Denny and Dunipace are proud. They have a strong sense of community that is shaped largely by their past and a strong desire to see the area improve in the future. However, it is an area that is blighted by the most neglected town centre that one could possibly imagine.
Town centres often serve as the heart of a community, where people shop, meet, work and socialise in the evening. They serve as the hub that draws the community together and they are often viewed as the window into the wider local community.
Think about when one comes into a town for the first time: first impressions are so important. A clean, pleasant, welcoming town centre gives the impression of a pleasant and welcoming area. However, when visitors come into a town centre that is run down, unpleasant and uninviting, for many of them it is simply a matter of continuing to pass through. The desperate state of Denny town centre has not happened overnight. A legacy of neglect of the town centre over decades has led to the situation in which we now find ourselves.
Six or seven years ago, Falkirk Council finally recognised that the town centre of Denny needed to change. However, despite widespread local consultation and the development of a master plan for redevelopment, for almost five years Falkirk Council has talked the talk of regeneration, but it has certainly not walked the walk. Not a single brick has been removed or laid as part of the so-called regeneration. In fact, Falkirk Council seems to be intent on making the situation even worse, given the £140,000-worth of temporary repair works that it has carried out in recent months, which have defaced buildings that many would have thought could not be defaced any further. I understand the need to carry out essential repairs, but I do not accept that a town centre that is already a carbuncle should be made even worse by such works. That is simply unacceptable.
Because of the way in which Falkirk Council has treated the people of Denny and Dunipace and the lack of progress that it has made on regeneration of Denny town centre, it would be fair to say that the people have lost confidence in the council. They have been told that the economic downturn has prevented the original master plan from being taken forward, so I, along with many others in the town, have asked for the council to produce an alternative plan that can be delivered in the present economic climate and which reflects the desires and aspirations of the community. To this day, we are waiting for the council to present us with an alternative plan.
The people of Denny and Dunipace have lost confidence in Falkirk Council and rightly so, but they are united in their desire to see the heart of their community restored. Over the past year, several campaigners in the town have organised a number of public meetings and protest marches around the blocks, all of which I have attended. Those events have brought together the old and the young, those who were born and bred in the area and those who have recently moved there. The message that has gone out from all those events is that the people of Denny and Dunipace are fed up waiting for the council to take the action that is needed, and that they will not sit back and allow the neglect of their community to continue.
The campaign to fight Falkirk Council’s neglect took a new twist in September last year, when the local campaign group asked for the town to be awarded the carbuncle of the year award because of the state of the town centre. As a result, it is the holder of the “plook on the plinth” trophy.
I do not expect the minister to be able to solve the problem, but I hope that he and other members will recognise that the community of Denny and Dunipace is, frankly, fed up with Falkirk Council’s lack of action, and that they will agree that it is now time for the council to deliver on the regeneration of Denny town centre that has been promised for so long.
The very heart of the community is in desperate need of regeneration. Jobs are being lost as businesses pull out of the town and others choose not to locate there because of the condition of the town centre. Having a carbuncle for a town centre eats away at the community’s sense of pride.
The community in Denny and Dunipace is strong and has pride in its local area. That sense of community and pride needs to be matched by a town centre that will serve as the new heart of the community. It is time for Falkirk Council to show the people of Denny and Dunipace the respect that they deserve by delivering on the promise of regeneration now.
12:23
On the banks of the River Carron in my constituency are the two small towns of Denny and Dunipace. Together they have a population of around 15,000 and are the second-largest population centre in my constituency.
In 1877, the villages of Denny and Dunipace were joined to form a single burgh and have remained that way ever since. However, for many centuries they were quite separate communities that lay on opposite banks of the River Carron. Tradition has it that in the 13th century, the priest in Dunipace was the uncle of William Wallace, and that the great man himself made many visits to Dunipace at that time. Denny was little more than a small village until the middle of the 19th century, but it has a long history that goes back to the medieval period, and it played a role in the wars of independence.
Like many communities in the central belt, both Denny and Dunipace were greatly affected by industrialisation in the 19th century. Linen production and calico painting attracted workers from across the district and the population of the area continued to rise in the 20th century.
New technologies brought decline to and, subsequently, closure of many of those industries. The area then turned to blackband ironstone mining to feed the iron industry in Falkirk. Coal mining, iron founding, brickworks and chemical works all played their part in the industrial make-up of the Denny and Dunipace area.
In more recent years, the soft waters of the River Carron were favoured by paper mills, which saw the Carrongrove paper mill being established—exporting paper across the world and employing hundreds of men and women locally. However, the paper mill has closed.
The communities of Denny and Dunipace are proud. They have a strong sense of community that is shaped largely by their past and a strong desire to see the area improve in the future. However, it is an area that is blighted by the most neglected town centre that one could possibly imagine.
Town centres often serve as the heart of a community, where people shop, meet, work and socialise in the evening. They serve as the hub that draws the community together and they are often viewed as the window into the wider local community.
Think about when one comes into a town for the first time: first impressions are so important. A clean, pleasant, welcoming town centre gives the impression of a pleasant and welcoming area. However, when visitors come into a town centre that is run down, unpleasant and uninviting, for many of them it is simply a matter of continuing to pass through. The desperate state of Denny town centre has not happened overnight. A legacy of neglect of the town centre over decades has led to the situation in which we now find ourselves.
Six or seven years ago, Falkirk Council finally recognised that the town centre of Denny needed to change. However, despite widespread local consultation and the development of a master plan for redevelopment, for almost five years Falkirk Council has talked the talk of regeneration, but it has certainly not walked the walk. Not a single brick has been removed or laid as part of the so-called regeneration. In fact, Falkirk Council seems to be intent on making the situation even worse, given the £140,000-worth of temporary repair works that it has carried out in recent months, which have defaced buildings that many would have thought could not be defaced any further. I understand the need to carry out essential repairs, but I do not accept that a town centre that is already a carbuncle should be made even worse by such works. That is simply unacceptable.
Because of the way in which Falkirk Council has treated the people of Denny and Dunipace and the lack of progress that it has made on regeneration of Denny town centre, it would be fair to say that the people have lost confidence in the council. They have been told that the economic downturn has prevented the original master plan from being taken forward, so I, along with many others in the town, have asked for the council to produce an alternative plan that can be delivered in the present economic climate and which reflects the desires and aspirations of the community. To this day, we are waiting for the council to present us with an alternative plan.
The people of Denny and Dunipace have lost confidence in Falkirk Council and rightly so, but they are united in their desire to see the heart of their community restored. Over the past year, several campaigners in the town have organised a number of public meetings and protest marches around the blocks, all of which I have attended. Those events have brought together the old and the young, those who were born and bred in the area and those who have recently moved there. The message that has gone out from all those events is that the people of Denny and Dunipace are fed up waiting for the council to take the action that is needed, and that they will not sit back and allow the neglect of their community to continue.
The campaign to fight Falkirk Council’s neglect took a new twist in September last year, when the local campaign group asked for the town to be awarded the carbuncle of the year award because of the state of the town centre. As a result, it is the holder of the “plook on the plinth” trophy.
I do not expect the minister to be able to solve the problem, but I hope that he and other members will recognise that the community of Denny and Dunipace is, frankly, fed up with Falkirk Council’s lack of action, and that they will agree that it is now time for the council to deliver on the regeneration of Denny town centre that has been promised for so long.
The very heart of the community is in desperate need of regeneration. Jobs are being lost as businesses pull out of the town and others choose not to locate there because of the condition of the town centre. Having a carbuncle for a town centre eats away at the community’s sense of pride.
The community in Denny and Dunipace is strong and has pride in its local area. That sense of community and pride needs to be matched by a town centre that will serve as the new heart of the community. It is time for Falkirk Council to show the people of Denny and Dunipace the respect that they deserve by delivering on the promise of regeneration now.
12:23
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman)
Lab
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-7682, in the name of Michael Matheson, on Denny town centre regeneration. The debate wi...
Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome a number of the local residents of Denny and Dunipace who have come here for this debate because it is on a very important issue in their community...
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Michael Matheson’s motion is in three parts. The first part asserts that“there is widespread dissatisfaction among residents in the Denny and Dunipace area r...
Hugh O’Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD)
LD
My congratulations go to Michael Matheson on bringing the issue to the chamber, and on his extensive knowledge of the locality. For my sins, or otherwise, I ...
Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way?
Hugh O’Donnell
LD
I apologise to the member. I did not see him sitting up there at the back.
Michael McMahon
Lab
The Denny area is represented by the constituency MSP who is leading the debate. The other members who are taking part are list MSPs for the area. Labour doe...
Hugh O’Donnell
LD
The distinction is an interesting one. It is not relevant, however. I apologise again to Mr McMahon. I did not see him sitting up there at the back. Given th...
Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, congratulate Michael Matheson on securing the debate. I welcome residents from Denny and Dunipace to the public gallery.I, too, think that it is disa...
Michael McMahon
Lab
I came to the chamber to pick up papers for this afternoon’s debate on the local government finance orders. There is no Labour representative in the Parliame...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
That was a very useful clarification. There is no interest from the Labour Party in Denny town centre. It is also very useful to know that Mr McMahon is sitt...
Margaret Mitchell
Con
On what basis can the member say that there is complacency from the Conservatives on the council?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
On the basis of Ms Mitchell’s contribution, in the main.Hugh O’Donnell stole my thunder somewhat. Like him, I live in Cumbernauld, which, as he mentioned, wo...
The Minister for Housing and Communities (Alex Neil)
SNP
I, too, congratulate Michael Matheson not just on obtaining the debate, but on the tremendous work that he has done, especially for Denny and Dunipace, first...
Margaret Mitchell
Con
I take it that the minister is referring to the motion, which talks about dissatisfaction among the residents about the regeneration process and how it is be...
Alex Neil
SNP
I am referring to both the need for regeneration and the regeneration process—or, as the local people would say, the lack of a regeneration process.Two or th...
Hugh O’Donnell
LD
As Michael Matheson pointed out, the problem is long standing. It predates the current economic circumstances, regardless of who is to blame for them. Conseq...
Alex Neil
SNP
I have visited Falkirk Council to discuss regeneration in general and the needs of certain areas in particular. Of course, every council faces the challenges...
Margaret Mitchell
Con
Will the member take an intervention?
Alex Neil
SNP
I am afraid that I do not have time.There is plenty that can be done with a bit of imagination and leadership. If Falkirk Council comes to me as the regenera...