Town centre plan for Bo'ness will 'breathe new life into the community'

Falkirk councillors have supported a plea to create a town centre regeneration plan for Bo'ness that would be "a powerful catalyst for positive change".

SNP councillor Stacey Devine made the plea to create the plan in a motion to Falkirk Council' s executive this week.

She said: "A town centre regeneration plan is a powerful opportunity to breathe new life into a community, transforming into a vibrant hub that benefits everyone.

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"By revitalising our town centre, we attract new businesses, create jobs and boost the local economy, making it a thriving place to live and work."

Councillor Devine said the regeneration plan would also help members of the public feel safer and more welcome and "foster a strong sense of community".

Falkirk and Grangemouth town centres already have regeneration plans in place and Cllr Devine said it was vital that Falkirk Council did the same for Bo'ness.

She added that the council would have to work with local groups to make the changes required.

She said: "Bo'ness, like most town centres, has been impacted by several things including the current economic conditions and pressures of online shopping."

But she also highlighted the many positive aspects of the historical town, including the Hippodrome cinema, the Bo'ness and Kinneil steam railway and several independent shops.

Cllr Devine said this was a strong foundation to build on and also highlighted the "great work" currently being done in the town centre by local community groups such as Blooming Bo'ness, Bo'ness Clean-up and Buzzness.

She said that consultation with these groups and others would be critical to any plan's success.

While Independent councillor Anne Ritchie could not attend the meeting, she passed on her support in a statement read out by Councillor Robert Spears.

She also stressed the role that local groups such as Buzzness currently play in creating events to promote the town centre and agreed that consultation was vital.

Falkirk Council's head of growth, planning and climate change, Michael McGuinness, said that having a masterplan and a "vision" would be very crucial when applying for funding to make improvements.

He said: "It's about what we want to achieve in our towns to make them vibrant - however, that comes at a cost and we have to be aware of the challenges we have to the public purse.

"But we have to set our stall out with a positive aspiration for the town."

He added that consultation on the Bo'ness masterplan was unlikely to start until early next year as other areas are already in progress.

Members of all parties were generally supportive, and Baillie Billy Buchanan also gave his backing, saying Bo'ness is a "real community with wonderful people".

He said: "The Bo'ness community is still reeling with the decision to close the Bo'ness Recreation centre and they are hopeful that what is being discussed today will come to fruition."

But he congratulated Cllr Devine on bringing the motion forward and said he hoped to see something "positive and tangible".

Cllr Devine welcomed the support from her fellow Bo'ness councillors as the motion was unanimously agreed.

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