by Mori » Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:57 am
Feed back from the survey i recieved today.
Thank you for completing the Council’s recent survey of Shawlands Customers.
With over 1200 responses received we have been extremely pleased with the feedback you have provided.
You have told us for example the things you liked about Shawlands are its:-
· Good pubs, restaurants, coffee shops, deli’s, clubs and its ‘warm relaxed feel’
· pleasant environment, community atmosphere, social life
· independent and specialist shops
· Good transport links to Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, M8 & M77
· Diverse population
· Beautiful parks, greenery and amenities
However you have also told us you did not like:-
· Vacant shops and the Arcade
· poor shop fronts and lack of lighting
· Safety and Security
· crossing the road
· Lack of public toilets
· difficulty in parking
The Council now intend to analyse the findings in greater detail and will hopefully be in a position to publish these later in the year.
In the meantime, I thought it might be helpful to provide you with a short update on how we are endeavouring to take things forward.
Following the set up of a Town Centre Steering Group last year, the Council have been gathering information about Shawlands which will feed into a Town Centre Plan. The information you provided through the survey is extremely useful in that it will provide a fuller picture of who is using Shawlands, why and how it can be improved. With the help of Glasgow South East Regeneration Agency we also hope to shortly begin a survey of businesses in the centre to find their perspective on what the issues are and how perhaps they can improve to attract more customers.
On 28 August, on behalf of the Steering Group, the Council also submitted a bid to the Scottish Government Town Centre Regeneration Fund. This fund was launched in May for one year only, and is intended to assist projects which help improve and protect town centres throughout Scotland during the economic downturn.
The bid towards a Shawlands Public Realm and Lighting Project is for £680000, and aimed at carrying out initial white lighting, footway and street furniture improvements. It is also intended to illuminate historic buildings, for example back lighting stained glass in three local churches, providing a lighting installation in Langside Hall, two illuminated fountains in Queens Park boating pond, tree management along the western edge of Queens Park to help connect Shawlands to Strathbungo better and the development of a Shawlands Café Quarter.
As part of the bid we also have a commitment of 100% match funding from private and public sector agencies which would take our overall spend to over £1.5 M.
The announcement of successful bids will be in late October. If we are fortunate in securing the funding, the project will be the first stage in delivering a detailed Town Centre Action Plan for the centre, providing early action on some of the feedback you have given by ‘brightening centre by improved lighting’ and helping to improve safety and security.
The proposed Shawlands Public Realm and Lighting Project will also aim to:-
· Build on the unique aspects of Shawlands by using light and key buildings to attract people back to the centre from its traditional catchment.
· Capitalise on a range of major attractions located on the Cathcart Circle e.g.; Hampden (1 m visitors each year), Pollok Park (700000+ a year), the Tramway (25000+), Queens Park (75000+ per year)
· Help ‘reposition the centre’ as the City approaches the 2014 Commonwealth Games, to become a leisure and social retail destination providing a diverse, attractive, specialised, good value quality food, drink and retail offering which is able compete against larger centres.
I very much appreciate your support in helping us to take Shawlands forward and thank you once again for completing our survey.
David Dunlop
DRS
Glasgow City Council
229 George St
Glasgow
0141 287 6097