issue 1 - june 2011
www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk
Heart of Town Centre Restored Recent visitors to Falkirk town centre won’t have been able to miss the new suite of signage installed throughout the town centre. We announced last year that Falkirk Council had won £2 million in regeneration funding from the Scottish Government’s national fund for revitalising town centres, along with a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant award for improvements to Falkirk Old and St Modan’s churchyard. Part of the funding has been used to provide both directional signage and maps, which allow users to find out where they are relative to other attractions and retail areas in the town centre.
Meanwhile, the churchyard of Falkirk Old and St Modan’s Parish Church, situated directly opposite the prime retail core of the town, has been quietly undergoing a transformation to become the historic heart of Falkirk. The town is believed to take its name from this church, “Faw Kirk”, meaning “speckled church”, over time becoming “Falkirk”.
and participation aspects of the project. Forth Valley College art and design students have been invited to design an interpretative leaflet promoting the site, which will be distributed across the area to attract visitors. Throughout the summer, Falkirk Local History Society will be conducting tours of the church and ghost tours will be available from the award winning Ghostly Guides group.
The church has important connections to the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, with notable casualties including Sir John de Graeme, William Wallace’s right hand man, being buried in the graveyard. There are also tombs from the Battle of Falkirk Muir in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites defeated government troops. A number of tombs and monuments have been cleaned up, the churchyard and surrounding retail areas landscaped, feature lighting installed and now plans are afoot to raise awareness of the fascinating history of the site.
One of Scotland’s top stone carvers, Gardner Malloy, has been working on the site and has just completed a series of stonemason career workshops with local high schools as part of My Future’s in Falkirk’s engaging youth programme.
To help with this aim, Falkirk Council has recently been successful in receiving a second HLF award, specifically for the interpretation
The combination of town centre and churchyard improvements add to Falkirk’s attractiveness and appeal, maximising visitors’ and shoppers’ enjoyment of the town centre. The work has been warmly endorsed by the Falkirk BID (Business Improvement District) and other town centre businesses. For details of tours visit www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/towns
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Extensive planning went into the design of the signage to ensure it would maximise the amount of useful information for both shoppers and visitors.
Movie Magic for Forth Valley Tourism Partnership Tourism businesses had a taste of movie magic in February when the latest Forth Valley Tourism Partnership event was held. Hosted by the Bo’ness Hippodrome, Scotland’s first purpose built cinema, businesses were treated to an evening of networking and film clips featuring the cinema’s history and restoration, plus heritage attractions in the Forth Valley. Trailers highlighting some of the big-name releases in the forthcoming programme were screened and the Hippodrome team gave an insight into their plans for Scotland’s first silent film festival. The pre-art deco cinema has boosted visitors to the Bo’ness area and been described as one of the top five local cinemas in Scotland.
the helix heralds start of £43 million land transformation project • Recipient of Scotland’s largest Big Lottery Fund award starts work on major project. • Land between Falkirk and Grangemouth will be transformed into an international visitor attraction. • Development will feature world famous horse sculptures, The Kelpies®. Something fantastic is happening in the heart of Scotland.
The VisitFalkirk team at the expo in Aberdeen
Putting Falkirk on the international map A new visitor map and a new guide highlighting events and festivals across Falkirk district were launched at a major travel trade event in April.
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The free publications – under a new brand “VisitFalkirk” - have been produced by Falkirk Council to showcase the wealth of attractions in the local area. A team from Falkirk Council, the Falkirk Wheel, Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, the Helix and Falkirk District Town Centres Management came together to promote the Falkirk area at the VisitScotland expo in Aberdeen. With around 850 buyers from across 30 countries, the event was an excellent opportunity to meet coach operators, travel agents and independent tour operators and to press home the message that the Falkirk area is a great place to visit at the very heart of Scotland. The leaflets are available online at www.falkirk.gov.uk/visitfalkirk
A 300-hectare site of unused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth is to be transformed into the Helix, a superb, vibrant new parkland set to become an exciting international visitor attraction. Whether it’s walking or running, cycling or sailing or simply taking in the beautiful natural setting, the Helix promises something for everyone. Key developments in phase one will include a dramatic central park, with its own enclosed lagoon and outdoor events space. Boaters will be able to navigate a new canal link connecting Grangemouth and the Firth of Forth to Scotland’s extensive canal network. The centrepiece of the new canal link will be the stunning Kelpies® lock: two 30-metre-high sculptures in the shape of horse’s heads. Other planned developments include pathways and cycle networks, a major public artwork and a range of community facilities. The Helix has been awarded £25 million by the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks programme, the largest single grant to be made to an individual project . Phase one of the project is scheduled to be completed by summer 2013. The first contractor to start work on the Helix is Land Engineering. The company is carrying out a series of landscape improvements in the southern zone of the Helix site.
in the headlines Falkirk BID aims for five year term Falkirk Business Improvement District (BID), launched in 2007, has unveiled its plans for the future. Working alongside Falkirk Council to deliver projects such as taxi marshals and farmers markets, the BID has completed its three year term and is now asking local firms to give them the opportunity to continue to for a five year period. Falkirk Herald, 18/04/1
Compulsory purchase may speed up Denny revamp Falkirk Council announced a major step forward for the redevelopment of Denny town centre. Use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) was approved at the council’s Policy and Resources Committee, which will accelerate the acquisition of properties and enable demolition to begin. Stirling Observer, 02/03/11
Ineos China-UK oil refinery deal worth $1bn.
Planting the trees were Craig Martin, leader of Falkirk Council; Anne Widdop, chairman of the Helix Trust board; local youngsters Grant Woodburn (15) and Charlotte Laing (15), who originally helped the Helix celebrate the award of Big Lottery Funding; Kirsty Nairn, programme manager Big Lottery Scotland; Steven Pressley, manager of Falkirk Football Club, whose stadium sits adjacent to the Helix site, and pupils from Victoria Primary School in Falkirk. Throughout 2011, work will also start on the construction of central park, the canal hub, canal extension and the fabrication of the full-size Kelpies®.
Bus builder Alexander Dennis in Falkirk have secured a deal to supply Stagecoach with an additional 20 of their Enviro 400 hybrid diesel-electric buses. This brings the total green buses Stagecoach have ordered to 142. Stagecoach have received financial support from the Government’s Green Bus Fund which helps companies to adopt green technologies. Falkirk Herald, 07/04/11
HEROtsc reveals job numbers up by 1500 Call centre company HEROtsc, headquartered in Falkirk, announced a new contract with energy provider E.on. The expansion of operations has meant the creation of 1500 jobs in the past 18 months, approximately 800 of which are in Scotland. The Scotsman, 07/04/11
Green light for road project Road improvements at Larbert have been given the go-ahead. Development of the transport infrastructure was deemed necessary in line with increased traffic around the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital. The junction between the A9 and M876 will be upgraded to a four-way interchange, improving access to the motorway and the Clackmannanshire Bridge. Work should be completed by March 2012. Falkirk Herald, 10/03/11
Land Engineering resurface the path at Mumrills Road near Beancross as part of the Helix South paths improvement programme.
FVC Students Help Falkirk Youth to be heard Two Forth Valley College students have been elected as MSYPs (Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament) for Falkirk East. The Scottish Youth Parliament is a nonpolitical, youth-led organisation that seeks to represent Scotland’s young people aged 14-25. Falkirk West is also represented by two young people, all of whom are elected for a two year term. Forth Valley College website, 21/04/11
The Wheel turns – major canalside regeneration scheme sails through planning Planning permission in principle has been granted for a mixed use scheme on a 58 acre canalside site near the Falkirk Wheel. Falkirk Council and British Waterways are collaborating on the project to regenerate and revitalise the Forth & Clyde canal corridor. Compropscotland.com, 20.04.11
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To help mark this symbolic moment, a group of special guests planted the Helix project’s first new trees. The Helix will incorporate a thriving blend of new and existing woodland as part of a sustainably managed natural habitat.
Stagecoach orders 20 additional buses in £3.8m deal
Ineos have been offered $1bn (£626m) by PetroChina for a 50% share in its European refining business. The joint venture will include investment in refineries at Grangemouth and Lavéra in France and is expected to secure 2000 Scottish jobs. BBC, 31/01/11
New Grangemouth Bandstand has local flavour
The provision of a new bandstand in Grangemouth town centre provided the opportunity for Grangemouth High pupils to add a local flavour. Pupils were invited to create designs, with the winning design being used for a feature slab which would be inlaid in the flooring in the centre of the performance space. The brief for the competition was to depict the history and character of the town, thinking about key landmarks like the oil refinery, Zetland Park, the War Memorial, the Docks and Town Hall, but to convey this in a design simple enough to be created in a 600mm x 600mm stone carving. A judging panel consisting of a local business representative, design architects Ironside Farrar, Town Centre Management and Falkirk Council selected 2nd year pupil, Jessica Wood’s design which has now been incorporated into the Grangemouth Events Space for all residents and visitors to enjoy. Jessica was presented with a replica plaque of her design by Provost Pat Reid as a memento of her involvement. The bandstand provides a contemporary performance space, compete with power point, which can be used flexibly to accommodate different types of performances and events in the town centre.
Bo’ness Academy pupils get business experience with launch of community food project Pupils from Bo’ness Academy are being given the opportunity to develop their employability skills and gain hands-on work experience with the launch of the ‘Bon Appétit’ food cooperative. The project, which has been designed to offer training and business experience to pupils in areas such as money-handling, food preparation and marketing, also provides staff and pupils with low cost, healthy food options.
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The key aims of the initiative are to provide opportunities for those S4/5 leavers who are at risk of not going into further training or employment when they leave school, with practical skills to assist them and give them an insight into employability. The project is run in partnership with local employer Caledonian Produce. It supplies the Bon Appétit co-operative with food products such as pasta, fruit and vegetables that may be surplus packs from a production run, or poorly presented. All products supplied are perfectly fit for consumption and have a minimum of two days use-by date. There is an extensive procedure manual in place to ensure all health and safety recommendations are followed.
Initially the food cooperative has been set up at Bo’ness Academy, utilising a dedicated kitchen area within the school where food is stored, repackaged and made ready for collection or distribution. Food is currently being sold to staff and pupils, but the long-term plan is that the project will eventually reach out to the wider community. Members of the project have paid a fee of £2 to join with £1 allocated to the purchase of a reusable bag and £1 to join the project. Fifteen per cent of the income generated from sales goes towards extracurricular activities for the students involved the project, and they have already enjoyed a go-karting trip with their earnings. Kevin Rae, Learning Choices Coordinator at Bo’ness Academy, commented: “We are thrilled with the positive feedback we have received so far from the Bon Appétit project. Both pupils and staff have really got involved and it has been a great success. We’re now looking at options to expand the project within the wider community around Bo’ness and hope very much to build upon its initial success”.
talkback Glenn Hodgson, Apex Vets What has been the most difficult hurdle to overcome in business and how did you do it? Without doubt it was obtaining funding during a recession. This was overcome with a lot of keen planning, saving, help from the BP Business Loan Fund, utilisation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme and a great deal of kind assistance from both my own and Douglas’s family members. Which famous person do you most admire and why? Chris Paterson, rugby player. Need I say why?
They invested their own capital into the project, and were also awarded money from the BP Loan Fund, which was set up in 2000 by BP in partnership with Falkirk Council, Scottish Enterprise and Falkirk Enterprise Action Trust (now Falkirk For Business). Having studied, and practiced as vets across the UK, Glenn and Douglas decided to set up their own practice together and wanted to identify an area that had a real need for a first class veterinary centre that could also be a strong part of the community.
Best deal? The best deals are the ones that work for both parties. In my previous employment the high case load allowed me to gain a lot of experience. My employers also felt that they were getting a good deal as I did plenty of work! Best recipe for winding down? Going for a walk in the country with my Fiancée and two Labradors. In a perfect world… Everyone is healthy and happy.
Glenn talks about his experience of starting up his own business and the careful planning that went into Apex Vets before it was launched in September 2010.
Favourite place? Scotland. I have visited other countries briefly but they are just not the same.
Best piece of business advice you ever received? This is an easy one. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
Dream car? Pagani Zonda R. I wouldn’t want one for keeps though; I think they are a little overpriced.
What makes your blood boil? Injustice followed closely by poor service. What makes you happy and contented? When everything is going well at home (family and friends) and at work (business and colleagues). In one sentence, what piece of advice could you offer to a new business? When working with some service companies plan everything well in advance and keep your finger on the pulse. Careful plans or big risks? Carefully planned risks! Going into business is always risk to some degree. Careful planning helps reduce risk and the associated stress. Prior to starting Apex Vets, my business partner and I found ourselves with a 120 page business plan!
Best under pressure or well chilled? A bit of both please. Pressure is provided by the surgical and medical emergencies that arrive here daily. It is important to be able to thrive in this environment. When an emergency arrives the whole team gets into action. It is good to see everyone getting involved in an emergency case, from the vital client communication at the front desk through to animal monitoring and treatments in the kennels or operating theatre. A “well chilled” period following emergencies is always appreciated. It gives us time to tidy up and get ready for the next arrival; and to enjoy the more relaxing work like checking and vaccinating client’s new puppy/kitten! What makes you happy and contented? When everything is going well at home (family and friends) and at work (business and colleagues).
Favourite city? Edinburgh. I really enjoyed being a student there and have lots of fond memories. Favourite book? Lord of the Rings. Hobbies? The dogs, a spot of fishing and a good competitive game of badminton. Favourite eaterie/restaurant? The Anchor in Dunipace. I am very biased as it is only a stone’s throw from my house. They ran a comedy night last month and the half time snacks went down a treat!
Issue 1 • June 2011
Glenn Hodgson, veterinary surgeon and co-manager of Apex Vets in Denny, opened the purpose-built Veterinary Centre, with fellow vet and business partner Douglas Paterson in September 2010.
falkirk business panel
update event in march
Members of the business panel came together in March for the annual update event, providing the opportunity to hear from Falkirk Council on all its activities affecting business. This year the business community were also invited to participate in discussion groups to give their feedback on a new business support strategy for the area. Rhona Geisler, Director of Development Services at Falkirk Council spoke about Tax Increment Financing and the Upper Forth Development Investment Zone. This project recognises the strengths of the Falkirk-Grangemouth area and the potential for the site to be of national significance. She outlined that Scottish Enterprise, Falkirk Council and Chemical Sciences Scotland have commissioned a study and framework to “provide a clear and common direction for future economic growth in the area”. Work is ongoing and this will be published in June. Julian Taylor, Director of Strategy and Economics at Scottish Enterprise then gave a lively and informative talk on the wider Scottish economy and how the Falkirk area compares, before the audience gathered into discussion groups to help inform the content of the new Business Support Strategy for the area.
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Since the event, the Business Support Strategy for the Falkirk Area has been approved by Falkirk Council’s Economic Development and Strategy Committee. For a full write up of the discussion groups visit www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/results
diary dates Falkirk Business Exhibition 2011 Friday 17 June, Falkirk Town Hall Visit the home page of www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk to register.
Falkirk Business Panel Annual Conference Friday 23 September, MacDonald Inchyra Grange Hotel Further details will be added to www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk in due course.
economic outlook The Importance of Manufacturing
Business Demography In Falkirk there were 3,375 active businesses in 2009. There were 400 business births, a birth rate of 11.8%, and there were 325 deaths (9.6%). The five-year survival rate for businesses born in 2004 and still active in 2009 was 43.2%. In Scotland as a whole, the comparable figures for 2009 are: 151,000 active businesses, a birth rate of 9.8% and a death rate of 10.2%. The Scottish five-year survival rate for businesses born in 2004 and still active in 2009 was 47.5%. Although these figures for 2009 show that Falkirk compared favourably in terms of its birth and death rates, Falkirk has for many years had a lower stock of businesses for the size of its population than Scotland as a whole. Number of Active Business Enterprises per 1000 Working Population 2004 Falkirk 32.4 Scotland 42.6
2008 35.3 46.0
2009 35.6 46.5
The recently approved Business Support Strategy for the Falkirk recognises that a healthy business birth rate is needed to maintain and enhance the business base. Increasing the business birth rate has been identified as a key priority of the strategy.
Forecasts of Economic Growth The UK economy is currently forecast to grow at around +1.6% in 2011. The average of several forecasters’ estimates for Scotland is also around 1.6% growth. This would be a slight improvement on Scotland’s growth rate in 2010. Mackay Consultants produce forecasts of economic growth at local authority level. In their Prospects for the Scottish Economy 2011-2014, Falkirk is rated 7th highest of 32 council areas at an average annual increase of +2.38% over 4 years.
Falkirk has a higher percentage of people employed within the manufacturing sector than Scotland as a whole, particularly within the chemicals and petro-chemicals industries and metal goods, mechanical engineering and transport equipment. In Falkirk, manufacturing accounts for 12.7% of total employment compared to the Scottish proportion of 7.9%. With a higher concentration of manufacturing than any other part of Scotland, Falkirk should be well placed to capitalise on export and other emerging opportunities as government seeks to re-balance the economy away from over-reliance on the financial sector, the domestic consumer and public services. Falkirk Council, Scottish Enterprise and Chemical Sciences Scotland, in conjunction with local industry, are currently developing a framework which will provide a clear and common direction for future economic growth in the area’s key sectors.
2011 Census Most people will be aware that the date of the 2011 Census was Sunday 27th March. Once the data has been fully collected and analysed, the Census will provide a wealth of information about the local population, including information on the economy. The first results are expected in July 2012 and will be released over the following months. There will be figures on the numbers of people in employment, the types of jobs they have and the industries they work in. Data will be available on the qualifications held by local people and their travel to work patterns. All this will give everyone an insight into the local economy and help to plan for future developments. The Council will publish information on its website as it becomes available. For further information on economic statistics for the Falkirk Council area, please follow the links: Falkirk as a location: www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/research The Falkirk Council Research and Information web page: www.falkirk.gov.uk/statistics
Issue 1 • June 2011
In this edition, the Economic Outlook column takes a look at some key statistics and what they say about the local economy of the Falkirk area.
The latest business statistics for Scotland show that the Gross Value Added (GVA) of the manufacturing sector was £13,985.6 million. Manufacturing in the Falkirk area contributed £1,546.3 million to Scottish GVA. Compared to all the other 32 local authorities in Scotland, Falkirk was the top local authority contributing 11.1% of Scotland’s manufacturing GVA, followed by Glasgow at 9%. The largest contributions to GVA within manufacturing came from the petro-chemicals industry.
Looking for Business Property in the Falkirk Area? The Business Property Register is an ideal point of reference for companies or individuals looking for property in which to start a new business venture, relocate or expand an existing business. Visit www.falkirk.gov.uk /property or call Jennifer Anton at Falkirk Council on 01324 590975.