Paisley Town Centre: a strategy for regeneration and transformation

yellow book

paisley town centre

a strategy for regeneration and transformation

paisley vision board renfrewshire council scottish enterprise renfrewshire

final report

July 2006

yellow book 1 hill street edinburgh eh2 3jp t 0131 225 5757 f 0131 225 5720 mail@yellowbookltd.com

paisley vision board renfrewshire council scottish enterprise renfrewshire

paisley town centre study a strategy for regeneration and transformation july 2006

yellow book ryden mrc mclean hazel wmud

22112005-id-01//wim

contents

paisley town centre study a strategy for regeneration and transformation

executive summary

i

section 1

introduction

1

section 2

background

7

section 3

conditions and prospects

19

section 4

the scenarios workshop

39

section 5

developing the strategic proposition

45

section 6

action plan

53

section 7

development and delivery

77

annexes

81

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executive summary This report, commissioned by the Paisley Vision Board, Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire, sets out a strategy and action plan for the regeneration and transformation of Paisley town centre.

The plan calls for a 10-year programme of investment in the town centre which will deliver:

into Cotton Street/Bridge Street) into a vibrant mixed-use urban quarter comprising luxury apartments, student housing, shops, office and new transport infrastructure.

The plan calls for an investment of around £10m by the public sector. This expenditure will:  act as a catalyst for private sector investment

 40,000 square metres of residential development  help to secure high quality mixed use development, and

traditional town centres like Paisley. In an era of unprecedented choice, prosperity and mobility, small and medium sized town centres have struggled to compete with the big cities and out of town leisure and retail complexes.

The report argues that innovation and creativity will be required to respond to these powerful forces and create a sustainable future for Paisley town centre. But innovation must be tempered by pragmatism, and a realistic understanding of market conditions and competitive threats.

 20,000 square metres of floorspace for retail/leisure  15,000 square metres of office/studio space

 contribute to a programme of investment in Paisley’s cultural assets, transport infrastructure and to enhancing the public realm.

 a new public transport hub  a multi-storey car park, and

We estimate that the action plan will increase the population of the town centre by up to 1,500 people, and add around 2,000 jobs.

 major improvements in the public realm.

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The bulk of the investment required to turn Paisley around will come from the private sector, but the public sector has a vital role to play in creating the conditions for regeneration and establishing a climate of confidence. The Paisley Vision Board partners need to champion a new vision for the town centre, and mobilise the resources of the public sector in support of a recovery plan.

THE CONTEXT

The total costs of development are estimated to be in the order of £50m over 10 years. The private sector will lead the regeneration process, investing up to £40-45m, primarily in residential and retail development.

A flagship scheme will transform the Eastern Arc (an area extending from Gilmour Street station, through the former Arnott’s site and

The report was commissioned against the background of continuing concern about the condition of Paisley town centre and, in particular, the decline in retail trade in the face of severe competition from Glasgow and out of town shopping centres, including Braehead.

Economic and social changes have had a profound impact on

Paisley has an extensive catchment area, but people living in and around the town have access to a wide range of shopping and leisure choices. Better off residents are most likely to have transferred their custom to Braehead or Glasgow city centre. Low income households, the young and the elderly do not have the same choices, and they are more likely to continue to shop and

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation |

spend leisure time in Paisley. The town centre is ringed by deprived neighbourhoods, and residents of these areas remain highly dependent on the services and amenities of the town centre.

The percentage of Paisley residents using the town centre for food shopping, or to buy clothes and household goods fell by more than half between 1994 and 2004. This collapse in customer loyalty among middle and higher income households accounts for the declining quality of Paisley’s retail offer, the closure of major stores and the emergence of low-price value retailers.

sector, with offices moving from town centres to out of town business parks.

Increasingly, traditional town centres serve a captive market of people who are too old, too young or too poor to choose more attractive alternatives. Many towns are in a spiral of decline, trading down market while the major cities and out of town centres capture an increasing share of business.

a shift towards value retailing. The situation may get worse before it gets better, with new competition coming on stream including the Silverburn centre at Pollok, which opens in 2007.

The leisure market has followed a very similar trajectory, while the office market (though boosted by new low cost space on the town centre fringes) remains uncertain. Prospects are best in the residential market, with luxury apartments coming to the market at Anchor Mill and other locations.

FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE THE CHARACTER OF PAISLEY

TOWN CENTRES IN THE 21ST CENTURY The challenges facing Paisley are typical of many medium sized towns in the UK. The role of town centres as the focal point for the life of the community has been undermined by four key factors:  increasing prosperity: we spend more on shopping and leisure, and we have more choice about where and how we spend  we are spending more on discretionary purchases – of goods, leisure, recreation and culture  our society is increasing mobile, with growing levels of car ownership  the rise of out of town developments like Braehead.

These drivers of change have had a profound effect on town centre retailing, and there has been a parallel trend in the commercial ii

We need to overcome pessimism about Paisley’s prospects by adopting a positive approach and an optimistic tone. Paisley has many strengths and attributes, including its large catchment population and substantial business base; a new university; access to Glasgow airport and the motorway network; and its fine architecture and townscape.

Paisley has been through difficult times, but it is still a distinctive and special place which is better placed than many towns of its size and type to transform itself into a competitive 21st century town centre.

Paisley is a handsome and distinctive town, with a riverside setting, fine buildings and townscape. Its urban form is largely intact, but the declining fortunes of areas such as the West End and Gauze Street have resulted in pockets of dereliction and decay.

Immediately adjoining the core area there are secondary streets where retail is in deep decline.

Paisley has a new university, but it has not yet acquired the character of a university town. The university needs a more stylish and lively urban environment; Paisley needs to capture the university’s potential as a driver of change and regeneration.

MARKET TRENDS AND PROSPECTS Paisley’s status as a retail centre has declined, and this is reflected in the closure of major stores, high vacancy rates, low demand and

The town has suffered from a bad press and a negative reputation, and there are concerns about litter, vandalism and crime. Too often, Paisley presents an image of shabbiness and neglect.

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TRANSPORT AND ACCESS Paisley is strategically located, close to the motorway network and an international airport, and is well served by rail and local buses.

But the quality of infrastructure and services is variable. Key issues include:  major roads encircle the town centre, cutting it off from residential areas and business locations, and discouraging walking  points of entry to the town are unattractive and unwelcoming  the pedestrianised central area is attractive, but needs better management and maintenance  there is an adequate supply of parking, but the quality of some car parks is poor  the town centre is a hostile environment for cyclists  rail services to Glasgow and the Clyde Coast are excellent, and the rail link to Glasgow airport has received the goahead, but Gilmour Street station is unwelcoming  the quality of bus services and vehicles is mixed, and Central Road is an ugly and threatening environment.

SUMMING UP The challenges facing Paisley are complex and deep-seated.

Throughout the UK traditional town centres have struggled to

come to terms with a changing environment and hostile market conditions. Paisley’s decline is not “somebody’s fault”, and there is no quick-fix solution.

The way forward is through diversification: creating a rich mix of activities and uses to replace an unsustainable retail mono-culture.

However, market conditions are not favourable, except in the residential sector, so the partners will need to adopt a practical, realistic and incremental approach.

This means creating demand conditions that will boost confidence and attract investment, for example:  providing attractive, high quality housing  bringing more students to live in the town  delivering modern workspace for knowledge-based businesses  growing the creative community.

The key message is that the continuing decline of the study area is not inevitable. PVB has a key role to play in promoting recovery by:    

championing the vision proactive management and maintenance mobilising public sector resources for investment engaging with the private sector to deliver development and regeneration.

THE STRATEGIC PROPOSITION The report sets out a strategic proposition based on a number of guiding principles:  there is no realistic prospect that Paisley can win back its former status as a shopping centre in the foreseeable future  the competitive pressures on Paisley will intensify in the short-medium term  the process of market adjustment means that Paisley is set to become a value retail centre  in the medium-long term, regeneration and diversification will help to achieve a quality retail and leisure revival  residential development represents the best prospect for market-led regeneration in the heart of Paisley  the office market is volatile and there is evidence of a mismatch between present day demand and available supply  the university is a key economic and cultural asset  Paisley’s cultural offer is modest for a town of its size, but there are some worthwhile assets to build on  Paisley’s architecture and townscape are key assets but the physical condition of the town centre has degraded  the town is generally well-connected, but road access to the town is confusing and compromised  the environment for pedestrians and cyclists is hostile and unwelcoming  public transport infrastructure needs to be upgraded

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | iii

LEARNING FROM BEST PRACTICE Paisley can learn form the experience of comparable towns such as Doncaster, Halifax and Scunthorpe. A review of best practice in these and other towns shows that they have faced many of the same challenges as Paisley. The strategies adopted by these towns display a number of common themes:  reducing retail dependency by diversifying and intensifying town centre uses  the key role of mixed-use developments to drive change  capitalising on educational, cultural and historical assets  regenerating neglected and forgotten places  establishing a coherent, legible urban form  investing in public transport and access measures  working with the market grain  building on place distinctiveness.

of traditional town centres in the 21st century, fulfilling a vital and valued role in the life of the community – and the wider metropolitan region – as an attractive historic riverside town which:  has a growing residential population enjoying the benefits of town centre living  offers an attractive package of quality convenience shopping, restaurants, cafes and nightlife  has a reputation for excellence in higher education and research  is a centre for enterprise with a growing business base  has a vibrant creative and cultural life  is the local capital and administrative centre  is welcoming, accessible and connected.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES The strategy is based on eight themes and strategic objectives:

A VISION OF PAISLEY TOWN CENTRE IN 2016 The report sets out a 10-year strategic vision for Paisley town centre: Paisley town centre will emerge from a decade of transformation with a renewed sense of pride, optimism and purpose. It will be a living, working community: an exemplar for the reinvention iv

 Theme 1: Living in the town centre: to repopulate the heart of Paisley  Theme 2: Shopping and leisure: to establish a viable and sustainable shopping and leisure offer  Theme 3: University town: to make Paisley a real university town  Theme 4: Paisley for enterprise: to increase knowledgebased employment

 Theme 5: Culture and creativity: to enhance the quality of the cultural offer, and grow the creative industries  Theme 6: Government and administration: to consolidate Paisley’s role as a centre of local government and administration  Theme 7: Accessible and connected: to make Paisley a more accessible and welcoming place  Theme 8: Quality and style: to discover, celebrate and enhance Paisley’s distinctive townscape.

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ACTION PLAN The report sets out an action plan based on these eight themes, and comprising eighteen priorities for action.

Themes 1. Living in the town centre

Priorities for action 1.1 Eastern Arc residential development

 a business centre which will provide a home of knowledge based businesses, including university spin-outs  continuing investment in the public realm, especially at town centre gateways and around the universities  improvements to the towns traffic management and transport infrastructure, and  investment in Paisley’s underperforming cultural assets.

1.2 Student housing 2. Shopping and leisure

2.1 Convenience shopping 2.2 Events, marketing and promotion 2.3 Winter lights

3. University town

3.1 Campus design strategy

The action plan will require public sector expenditure in the order of £10m over five years, and it will act as the catalyst for up to £50m of private sector investment.

3.2 Student quarter 4. Paisley for enterprise

4.1 Serviced business centre

DELIVERING THE ACTION PLAN

coordinating delivery of the action plan, but it will also be charged with:  introducing a zero tolerance regime to combat crime, litter, graffiti and vandalism  designing and implementing a year-round programme of events, festivals and cultural activities  developing a marketing, promotion and PR campaign.

We recommend that appropriate delivery arrangements should be agreed case-by-case. However, the Paisley Vision Board should direct and monitor progress, assisted by a dedicated town centre team. The Board’s key responsibilities will be:

4.2 Mixed use development 5. Culture and creativity

5.1 Cultural experience 5.2 Creative production

6. Government + administration

6.1 Public sector relocations

7. Accessible and connected

7.1 Road access and parking 7.2 Public transport hub

The regeneration of Paisley should be private sector led wherever possible. The resources of the public sector are finite, but the PVB partners have a key role to play in laying the foundations for private sector activity.

7.3 Walking and cycling 8. Quality and style

8.1 Urban form 8.2 Public space 8.3 Eastern Arc

The centrepiece of the plan is a proposal to transform the Eastern Arc – which stretches from Gilmour Street through Gauze Street to Cotton Street and Bridge Street – into a vibrant mixed use urban quarter. This project will change the face of Paisley town centre; other key outputs include:

The partners will champion the strategy and the action plan and make sure that the regeneration of Paisley is on the market radar.

However, public sector investment will also be required to tackle market failure, and to ensure that the mix of uses and quality of development matches the new vision for Paisley.

developing a 5-year business plan championing the new vision working with the private sector to deliver development mobilising public sector resources ensuring that complementary infrastructure, public realm and cultural projects are delivered  performance management.     

The report also recommends an enhanced role and additional resources for the town centre team. The team will play a key role in paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation |

vi

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1 introduction Paisley Town Hall

1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1

This is the final report of the Paisley Town Centre Study, commissioned by the Paisley Vision Board, Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire. A consultant team led by yellow book was appointed to carry out the study; the team also includes: • Ryden: property market analysis • wmud: urban design, and • MRC McLean Hazel: transport and traffic.

1.2

The original brief called for a retail study which would: “identify and analyse the causes of retail under-performance in the town, and initiatives for improving the offer and mix of shops, increasing the uptake of vacant units… [and] improving the trading conditions in the town”.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH 1.3

The immediate backdrop to the study was concern about the impact on the town centre of the closure of two major stores, Littlewoods and the Co-op, and this accounts for the

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation |

focus on retail issues. However, the brief invited consultants to suggest alternative approaches, and the yellow book proposal called for a more strategic approach, which would encompass other town centre uses, including office and residential, civic and cultural activities and the university.

1.4

The yellow book response to the brief suggested that a narrowly defined retail study would: •

1.5

tell the partners what they – and town centre traders - already know about the competitive pressures facing Paisley town centre

•

focus on social trends and market forces over which the partners have little or no control, and

•

lead to recommendations which would be inadequate to deal with complex and systemic causes of decline.

This analysis was accepted by the steering group, and a revised brief was agreed: •

flower stall by the Cross

to review conditions and prospects in Paisley town centre, taking account of market conditions and trends

•

to review prospects in key sectors including retail, office, commercial leisure and residential

•

to assess the character of the study area and its architectural, townscape, cultural and historic assets

•

to identify 10 year scenarios for the future of Paisley town centre

•

to agree a vision and strategy for the town centre

•

to identify priorities for action, and

•

to prepare recommendations on delivery.

WORK PROGRAMME

1.6

The work programme has comprised four key stages. In Stage 1 the consultant team carried out an extensive review of planning and other local policies and – through a series of site visits – assessed the character and quality of the town centre. Ryden has carried out a comprehensive study of property market conditions and trends; wmud developed a detailed urban design analysis; and MRC McLean Hazel has reviewed traffic, transport and access issues.

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1.7

1.8

1.9

In Stage 2 we prepared a concise summary of issues, challenges, threats and opportunities which provided the platform for a scenario planning workshop which explored the implications of a range of possible strategies and development trajectories. At the same time we issued the first draft of Ryden’s review of the Paisley property market, subsequently updated and expanded. The workshop brought together a group of about 30 stakeholders – elected members, officials, business representatives, investors and others – and resulted in a broad consensus on a strategic direction for the town centre.

In Stage 3, following the workshop, the consultant team developed a strategic proposition, which set out a vision and objectives for the town centre. This vision statement calls for a decade of transformation which will confer a renewed sense of pride, optimism and purpose on Paisley town centre. At this stage we also developed a set of priorities for action by the Vision Board and the partner organisations.

Finally, in Stage 4, we have worked up the priorities into an action plan, and also prepared recommendations on delivery. We have prepared this final report and also drawn together a package of supporting evidence, including four documented case studies. These latter are attached as annexes to the report.

Churchhill

CREATIVITY, PRAGMATISM, LEADERSHIP 1.10

The Vision Board has encouraged consultants to consider radical and imaginative solutions. We agree that creative thinking will be required if Paisley is to break out of its present cycle of decline. In particular, the study has confirmed the wisdom of looking beyond retail in order to create the conditions for a prosperous and sustainable future.

1.11

This report contains proposals designed to promote and accelerate the process of transformational change in the town centre. These include ambitious plans for mixed use development in an area that we have defined as the Eastern Arc: these plans will regenerate an area in long-term decline; create modern public transport infrastructure; define the edge of the town centre and create a contemporary urban context for the abbey.

1.12

The Eastern Arc project will create a new image for Paisley – of modernity, quality and optimism about the future - but innovation must be balanced by pragmatism. The impact of market forces, economic and social change on Paisley town centre – and many other towns of similar size and type – has been profound. Taken together, these drivers of change raise profound questions about the role and purpose of traditional town centres in the 21st century. These powerful

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation |

forces cannot be ignored, and this report addresses the key question: what – in an age of unprecedented choice and mobility – will make more people choose Paisley town centre as a place to live, work, shop and visit?

1.13

change with these basic, no-frills ideas. Over an extended period, Paisley has lost retail trade to new and powerful competitors, and market adjustment is leading inexorably towards a value shopping offer catering for low income consumers in the local catchment area; the leisure/ entertainment offer has followed a similar trajectory. At the same time, the already small population of the central area has been reducing, and non-retail employment has also fallen. We need to tackle these fundamental challenges.

So this report also aims to offer a practical, realistic and incremental approach to generating change in the study area. This approach focuses on creating the demand-side conditions which will boost business confidence and attract investment by, for example: •

providing attractive, high quality housing which will bring high net worth individuals and households to live in the heart of Paisley

•

bringing more students to live in the town, and encouraging more interaction between the town and the university

•

delivering modern workspace that will attract knowledge-based businesses, start-ups and university spin-outs to the town centre, as well as larger public sector and/or head office relocations

• 1.14

Orr Square

growing Paisley’s creative community

We make no apologies for balancing proposals for radical

1.15

Our strategy, which is consistent with the objectives of the Vision Board, aims to rebuild demand and create the conditions for new investment in quality convenience shopping; cafes, bars and restaurants; and – over time – the return of quality speciality shopping, such as bookshops, fashion stores and delicatessens. The public sector partners cannot make this happen: their job is to create the conditions which will restore market and investor confidence in Paisley.

1.16

This leads us to another key theme of our approach: leadership. There is an understandable sense of anxiety about the condition of Paisley town centre. This study shows that the continuing decline of the study area is not inevitable, and it maps out a strategy for a more sustainable and diverse future. However, the process of recovery will take time: it could take up to 5 years for Paisley to turn the

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corner, and a decade to achieve the transformational change described in this report.

1.17

Anchor Mill

adjustment, and to stimulate private sector investment. We are not dealing with endemic market failure, but the market is producing some unlooked for results and it would be misleading and dishonest to suggest that the development programme outlined here can be delivered without public sector intervention.

During this period, the role of the PVB partners will be pivotal. At a time when public, political and market confidence in the town centre is at a low ebb, the partners have a vital role to play by: 1.19 •

championing the vision of an exciting and positive future for Paisley town centre

•

demonstrating their faith and commitment through proactive management of the town centre, a yearround events programme and effective marketing and promotion

•

mobilising the resources of partners and funding bodies in support of the action plan

•

engaging with the private sector to deliver development and regeneration.

Similarly, the proactive management regime recommended in this report will require significant annual revenue funding. Contributions – in cash and in kind – may be sought from the private sector, but the burden will inevitably fall on the Council. We recognise that this will involve tough decisions, but in our judgement action to create a livelier, safer, cleaner town centre – and to spread the word in the wider catchment area – is imperative, especially in what we anticipate will be a difficult next 2-3 years.

STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT

1.18

As we explain in Section 7 of this report, the partners will need to match leadership and moral support with a substantial resource commitment. We are well aware of the budgetary pressures facing the public sector bodies, and our strategy is designed to encourage and accelerate market

1.20

The main report is in seven sections: •

Section 2 describes the background and policy context for the study

•

Section 3 sets out the key points from our analysis of conditions and prospects in Paisley town centre

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation |

Paisley Arts Centre

1.21

•

Section 4 contains a summary of the key points of discussion at the scenarios workshop

•

Annex 5: a report (by MRC McLean Hazel) on transport and access issues

•

Section 5 sets out the strategic vision and objectives for the town centre

•

Annex 6: documented case studies of four comparator towns: Doncaster, Halifax, Scunthorpe and Taunton.

•

Section 6 details a proposed action plan, organised around eight key themes

•

Section 7 contains recommendations on development and delivery of the action plan

The report is accompanied by six annexes: •

Annex 1: a concise policy review focusing in particular on the planning context

•

Annex 2: a review of recent studies of Paisley town centre

•

Annex 3: a review of data on socio-economic conditions in Paisley

•

Annex 4: an updated report (May 2006) by Ryden on the Paisley property market

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2 background and context County Square

2.1

In this section we review the background to the study, focusing on three key themes: •

socio-economic conditions in Paisley

•

the planning policy context, and

•

recent previous studies of the town centre

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

2.2

Paisley had a population of 75,870 at the time of the 2001 Census, making it the sixth largest urban settlement in Scotland, and accounting for about 44% of the population of Renfrewshire. Like much of west central Scotland, the Council area has been experiencing population decline, and is forecast to lose a further 7,400 residents by 2016.

2.3

The resident population of Paisley Central Ward in 2001 was 3,508, down 8.9% since 1991.

2.4

The principal town centre employment locations are in the Paisley Central and Seedhill wards. The Annual Business Inquiry shows that there were about 11,000 employee jobs in these two wards in 2004. More than two-thirds of these jobs were concentrated in four sectors:

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation |

The Cross

•

a less cosmopolitan population: 92.9% were born in Scotland (Scotland 87.2%) and only 2.2 % were born in Europe or the rest of the world (Scotland 3.4%)

business services (15%)

•

a broadly similar age profile

education (15%).

•

relatively low levels of car ownership: 44.6% of households do not have a car (Scotland 34.2%) and there are only 0.7 cars per household (Scotland 0.9)

•

more people live in overcrowded houses: 15.3% live in households with too few rooms per resident (Scotland 11.7%)

•

an above average share of lone parent households (8.5%/Scotland 6.9%).

•

retail and wholesale trade (22%)

•

public administration (16%)

• •

POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD 2.5

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has: •

more single person households: 38.8% in Paisley (Scotland 32.9%), with a particularly high proportion accounted for by people below pension age (23.1%/ Scoltand 17.9%)

HEALTH •

•

fewer detached houses (10.2%/Scotland 20.4%) and more households living in flats and apartments (51.4%/Scotland 35.6%) relatively low levels of home ownership (57.5%/ Scotland 62.6%) and an above average number of households living in Council and other social rented housing

2.6

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has: •

slightly fewer people in good health (65.8%/ Scotland 67.9%)

•

slightly more people with a limiting long term illness (22.0%/Scotland 20.3%)

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White Cart frontage

•

-

a higher economic inactivity rate (see below) and a higher proportion of the economically inactive who are permanently sick or disabled (24.7%/Scotland 21.3%).

•

a broadly similar occupation profile, but with: -

2.7

EMPLOYMENT

-

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has:

-

•

slightly more people working in administrative/ secretarial occupations slightly fewer people working skilled trade occupations slightly more people working in process and elementary occupations.

a broadly similar economic activity profile, but with: - - - - - -

•

more people working in manufacturing, transport and health/social work

more people in full-time employment fewer people in self-employment slightly more retired people fewer students more people who are economically inactive because of sickness or disability more very long term (3-6 years+) unemployed: (12.2%/Scotland 9.9%)

EDUCATION 2.8

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has: •

- -

a broadly similar industry profile for employed residents, but with: • -

fewer people working in primary/extractive industries

more households where no one aged 16-74 has qualifications or is in full-time education (35.6%/ Scotland 33.1%): 35.0% have no qualifications (Scotland 33.2%) 17.0% have a Level 4 qualification (19.5%)

a lower proportion of 16-18 years olds are in fulltime education (58.9%/Scotland 69.5%).

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COMMENTARY 2.9

Figure 2-1: Incidence of multiple deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

These headline figures from the 2001 Census suggest that Paisley is less prosperous than Scotland as a whole. The most marked differences relate to household composition, housing tenure, the quality of the housing stock and car ownership.

2.13 These deprived neighbourhoods account for a very significant proportion of the town centre catchment population, including residents who (because they are on low incomes and/or do not have access to a car) are most likely to remain loyal to Paisley town centre as a shopping and leisure location.

2.10 However, Paisley is a very mixed community, with pockets of acute deprivation and poverty balanced by other areas of relative comfort and prosperity. An analysis of the 2004 Scottish Index of Deprivation (SIMD) highlights the concentration of poverty in housing schemes throughout Paisley.

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

2.11 In Figure 2-1 the areas shaded brown and pink are among the most deprived datazones in Scotland. The map is based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and shows that the town centre is ringed by deprived neighbourhoods. Poverty is particularly intense in St James and Ferguslie Park, but there are a number of other deprived inner areas, including Foxbar, Hunterhill, Seedhill, Gallowhill, Moorpark and Shortroods.

10

Saucel & Hunterhill and Foxbar wards are among the 20% most deprived.

2.12 The Scottish Executive has generated rankings at ward level, which show that: •

St James (ranked 11th out of 1,222) and Ferguslie (29th) are among the 5% most deprived wards in Scotland

•

Shortroods (100th) is among the 10% most deprived

•

Sandyford, Seedhill, Paisley Central, Brediland,

2.14 We can infer that people living in the more prosperous residential areas of Paisley are more likely to be able to exercise choice about where they shop and spend their leisure time. These higher income individuals are more likely to have transferred part or all of their custom to Braehead or Glasgow city centre.

2.15 This analysis is consistent with and supports the thrust of the property market review supplied by Ryden as well as the findings of a shopper survey carried out by DTZ Pieda in 2004. It shows that, in addition to the economic, social and market forces that are putting pressure on all town centres, Paisley is catering for low income markets, with inevitable consequences for the scale and nature of demand.

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POLICY CONTEXT 2.16 National planning policy has long recognised the challenges facing Scotland’s towns and cities and, over an extended period, a sequential test has been applied to protect and preserve the role of town centres by restricting out of town and edge of town developments. In practice, however, these policies have been a failure: approvals have been granted for a number of regional-scale out of town shopping and leisure centres, as well as numerous retail parks and food stores. These new retail and leisure locations account for an increasing proportion of consumer spend, while traditional town centres have continued to decline.

New Street from Church Hill

policy context with a degree of caution. There has been a big gap between stated policy aspirations and the reality on the ground, and it is not clear whether policy will be enforced more rigorously in the next 5-10 years than in the past.

2.19 The most recent statement of Scottish Executive policy objectives is contained in the consultation draft of SPP8: Town Centres, published in August 2005. SPP8 states that the Executive’s key objectives for town centres are: •

promoting competitive places and encouraging regeneration

2.17 It can be argued that the policy objectives of vital and viable town centres have not been delivered because, either:

•

enabling communities to have access to a range of shopping, leisure and other services

•

the objectives are unrealistic and fly in the face of market realities and investor/consumer preferences, or

•

improving the physical quality of town centre environments

• •

decision makers have lacked the will and/or resources to resist pressure from developers and operators for out of town development.

improving access and reducing car dependency by supporting development in accessible locations.

2.18 These matters are beyond the scope of the present study, but they highlight the need to treat a nominally supportive

2.20 Based on these performance measures, the performance of Paisley town centre in the past decade has been, at best, mixed. On the negative side:

paisle y tow n cent re s t ud y: a s t r ateg y f or regener ation and t r ansf or mation | 11

•

there has been a significant decline in the competitive advantage of Paisley town centre, reflected in the closure of key retailers and high vacancy rates

•

vacancy rates are particularly high in secondary retail streets, but the malaise is also affecting the prime pitch, including the Paisley Centre

•

there a number of gap sites and numerous derelict, dilapidated and under-used buildings.

2.21 However, the ten-year balance sheet also reveals some positive changes, including: •

evidence of market adjustment, reflected in the rise of the low price value retail sector

•

completion of a high quality pedestrianisation and public realm scheme, including improved public transport infrastructure

•

refurbishment of the Council’s South Building

•

completion of the student union in Storie Street

•

success of farmers’ markets in County Square

Page and Park’s new student union building in Storie Street

•

significant investment on the town centre fringes, notably at Mile End and Anchor Mill.

2.22 The draft SPP8 puts a greater emphasis on the mix of activities and uses in town centres and on creating a sense of place and identity. Retail and leisure are still seen as key activities, but – in an implicit acknowledgement of the new market realities – the policy also focuses on the potential contribution of business space, community facilities, culture, tourism and civic space.

2.23 This renewed emphasis on the diversity of town centres is also reflected in proposed revisions to the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Structure Plan, published in October 2005 , which give more explicit recognition to the economic, administrative, educational and cultural roles of the region’s principal town centres.

2.24 The revised plan concludes that there is no quantitative requirement for additional convenience or comparison retail space in Paisley, but that up to 25,000 m² of new provision might be justified on qualitative grounds. Paisley is identified as a strategic business centre and the plan also highlights the potential contribution to town centre regeneration of the university.

1 Draft Finalised Supplementary Written Statement, October 2005 12

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former Arnotts store in Gauze Street

2.25 The current Renfrewshire Local Plan (2002) confirms the policy of protecting the retail function of the town centre, although recent retail consents have been granted at Anchor Mill and Love Streets.

COMMENTARY 2.26 A more detailed account of the policy environment is contained in Annex 1. Planning policies designed to protect the role and status of Scotland’s town centres have failed to stem the tide. Nowhere is this more strikingly demonstrated than in Paisley, where the already evident decline in the quality and status of the town centre has been exacerbated by the arrival of the Braehead shopping and leisure complex. Another major regional centre, Silverburn, will open for business in 2007 and will inevitably compound the competitive threat.

2.27 These major planning decisions may have conferred net benefits on the city region, but it cannot be denied that they have had a negative impact on Paisley. Equally, it needs to be recognised that Paisley’s decline pre-dates Braehead.

The key point is that, as far as out of town retail and leisure are concerned, the genie is out of the bottle. Braehead and, soon, Silverburn are facts, and any sustainable strategy

for the regeneration of Paisley town centre needs to acknowledge this reality.

2.28 We are therefore encouraged by the pragmatic tone of SPP8 and the revised structure plan. Their emphasis on encouraging diversity and cultivating a range of activities and uses as the best ways to promote vitality and viability is sensible and realistic, and we expect to see this approach reflected in local planning policy and its day-to-day implementation.

2.29 An appropriate and sustainable level of retail and leisure will, of course, continue to be an important part of the town centre offer, but they need to be complemented by a renewed emphasis on, for example: •

town centre businesses

•

civic and administrative functions

•

teaching and research

•

culture and tourism.

2.30 SPP8 notes that developing a rich mix of activities also requires action to enhance the place quality and inclusiveness of town centres by, for example: paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 13

•

improving the physical environment

•

promoting quality design

•

creating safe and attractive public spaces

•

improving accessibility by all modes of transport.

2.31 This agenda has influenced the development of the strategy set out in the following pages. However, implementing the vision of a mixed use town centre (including an increase in residential development, although this does not form part of the SPP8 agenda) will still require strong policy direction to counteract trends including: •

dispersal of modern offices to edge of town/out of town locations

•

shift of some public sector services from town centres to neighbourhood delivery

•

new approaches to higher education delivery tending to undermine the social aspects of university life.

2.32 A key message of SPP8 is the need for town centre strategies to provide a detailed framework for action. The draft 14

office premises at Abbey Mill

suggests that strategies should: •

indicate the scope for change through redevelopment, renewal, alternative uses and diversification

•

consider the constraints to their implementation

•

identify clear actions, tools and delivery mechanisms

•

promote new opportunities for development, using masterplanning and design exercises, and

•

recommend arrangements for monitoring change.

2.33 This report meets these criteria, although further detailed work will still be required to progress the priorities for action identified in section 6.

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RECENT STUDIES 2.34 This study is the latest in a series of studies commissioned by the Vision Board and the key partners since 2000. The key findings and recommendations are described in more detail in Annex 2.

PAISLEY OFFICE MARKET REVIEW 2.35 This study by Ryden (2002) reviewed the office market in the whole town, not just the town centre. It concluded that out of town and edge of town centre locations were most active, but that the town centre had a role to play. The report recommended that: •

office development should be promoted at well located strategic sites

•

the quality of town centre offices should be improved

•

the area north of the railway should be assessed for its suitability as a quality inner city business park.

PAISLEY RETAIL STUDY

THE FLOWERING OF PAISLEY

2.36 This study by DTZ Pieda (2002) included a survey of town centre users which confirmed that shopping was the main purpose of 58% of visits, followed by work (11%), financial services (9%) and social/leisure (9%). The survey showed that local residents were much less likely to use the town centre for shopping trips than at the time of the previous survey (1994); for example:

2.39 This study by EDI examined the feasibility of developing a university quarter in Paisley. It discussed the declining fortunes of Paisley town centre, and identified factors including: •

the impact of the town’s negative image, especially on the residential market

•

respondents using the town centre for their main food shopping: down from 37% to 16%

•

the declining market for traditional town centre flats and the need to improve the tenement stock

•

respondents using the town centre to buy clothing and fashion: down from 40% to 18%

•

an oversupply of retail space at secondary locations and the Piazza Centre

•

respondents using the town centre to buy household goods: down from 41% to 15%.

•

the impact of Braehead on town centre trade

•

the small number of students living in the town.

2.37 This collapse in customer loyalty was accounted for by leakage to a combination of Braehead, Glasgow and retail parks. The main reported advantage of the town centre was that it was close to home; the main complaint was the poor range of shops.

2.38 The issues highlighted in the retail study helped to shape the agenda for the Paisley Vision operating plan.

2.40 The report identified a number of regeneration opportunities, including: •

building a critical mix and mass of retail, hotels, restaurants and cafes

•

creating a well-rounded town centre experience,

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 15

making better use of arts and cultural attractions •

flagship housing developments

•

concentrating university development in the town centre, including residential accommodation

•

developing arts studios and workshops

•

commissioning innovative, high quality buildings.

University Campus

recommended the formation of a public-private joint venture company to drive forward the key developments.

POTENTIAL RE-USE OF UPPER FLOORS 2.44 This report by Halcrow (2000) identified opportunities to convert vacant upper floors above shops into flats. This might create up to 30 units in the High Street/Gilmour Street area, with opportunities to extend the pilot scheme into other parts of the town centre.

2.41 The report set out a master plan for the town centre, based on four zones: WEST END REGENERATION STUDY •

Oakshaw: the university old town

•

Piazza/County Square: transport hub

•

the abbey environs: civic landscape.

2.42 The fourth zone would be a university quarter, based on the university campus, but pushing out into neighbouring streets to create business space, studios and retail opportunities.

2.45 This 2005 study by ODS and Roger Tym & Partners examined conditions in an area centred on Wellmeadow Street, Well Street and Broomlands Street. Retail trade in this former suburban centre had declined “drastically”, and the area was now predominantly residential.

2.46 The study described conditions in the West End, which were characterised by: •

2.43 These proposals were indicative, and the report called for more detailed project appraisals to be undertaken. It also 16

a high proportion of flats, many in the social rented sector

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•

low housing demand and high turnover

•

low sales values

•

a significant private rented sector linked to the university

•

a degraded urban environment

•

high levels of deprivation, crime, drug abuse and anti-social behaviour.

Canal Street

2.47 The report recommended the adoption of an area development framework (ADF) which should be delivered by a multi-agency partnership. A core of neighbourhood shopping should be retained, but the focus should be on housing-related initiatives, including: •

an estate management agreement

•

including the image of the area

•

increasing the quality and choice of housing.

paisle y tow n cent r e s t ud y: a s t r ateg y f or r egener at ion and t r ansf or mat ion | 17

COMMENTARY •

2.48 The Paisley Vision Board partners have commissioned a number of studies in recent years. Some progress has been made, but the underlying problems remain. This is understandable: the drivers of change in Paisley town centre are powerful and hard to influence. In our view, there has been a mismatch between the scale of the challenge in Paisley and the public sector response, both strategically and in terms of the level of resources committed. We recognise that the partners have to deal with competing spending priorities. However, the fact remains that Paisley needs to achieve transformational change if it is to break out of the current cycle of decline; the Paisley Vision partners will need to champion the change process and make a significant financial commitment in order to stimulate private sector investment in the town centre.

2.49 In preparing the present report, we have sought to build upon the work already undertaken by others and – where appropriate – embed it in our own proposals and recommendations. At the same time we have aimed to focus our attention specifically on the town centre. We broadly endorse recommendations from some of the previous reports which provide useful context for our proposals. For example:

in their previous report, Ryden identified an area north of the town centre (in the Cart Corridor) as a potential inner city business park : our recommendations on business space aim to complement that approach by treating the town centre as the preferred location for start ups, spinouts, micro-businesses, civic and administrative uses

•

we have not attempted to second guess the recent ODS/RTP study of the West End, but we see this area as an important gateway to the town centre, with the potential to mesh more closely with the university: regeneration of this neighbourhood would therefore complement the proposals contained in this report.

2.50 The DTZ Pieda retail study has to some degree been overtaken by events, and the more recent market analysis (which covers other sectors as well) by Ryden which accompanies this report. However, it remains exceedingly valuable for its insights into the perceptions and behaviour of town centre users, and the transfer of custom to more attractive alternatives. It would be useful to conduct a new

We understand that this recommendation is broadly in line with emerging proposals for the

Glasgow Airport Zone which is the subject of a separate report by EKOS 18

survey after Silverburn has opened for business.

2.51 The EDI study on the Flowering of Paisley is in some ways closest to the present study in terms of its scope and aspirations. Much of the analysis is admittedly broad brush and less rigorously evidence based, and the consultants acknowledge that their recommendations are “concepts” that require further development and appraisal. The present study provides a much more detailed evidence base and our proposals are more fully developed, although they will require further work.

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3 town centre: conditions + prospects study area

3.1

There has been a mood of pessimism about the performance of Paisley town centre. This is understandable in the light of recent events, but the partners recognise that there is a danger that it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The town’s negative image and reputation, combined with a lack of confidence in the private and public sectors could feed and accelerate a cycle of decline.

3.2

In the early stages of the study we discussed our approach with the Paisley Vision Board, and agreed that it was important to use the process to set a more positive and optimistic tone, to challenge the prevailing mood and create a climate of confidence in Paisley.

3.3

We noted, for example, that although the High Street and the retail core have struggled in recent years, there has been some major investment in the town centre fringes (notably at Mile End and Anchor Mill) and prospects in some market sectors, notably residential, are relatively positive.

3.4

We also enumerated some of Paisley town centre’s strengths and assets, for example: •

it is a large town – the sixth largest urban area in Scotland – with an extensive catchment

•

it is an important employment centre with a diverse

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 19

economy playing an important role in the wider city region •

Paisley has fine townscape and architecture, and a rich history and heritage

•

there is an ambitious new university with a town centre campus and plans for merger and expansion

•

successful regeneration of the town centre fringes has introduced a new generation of small and micro businesses as well as luxury housing

Town Hall

symptoms of decline, but Paisley is arguably better placed than most of its peers to become a successful and sustainable 21st century town centre.

3.6

The study has examined how these assets can be leveraged to create new opportunities to revitalise the heart of the town – as a retail centre, but also as a centre of learning, a place for leisure and recreation, a business location and a residential community. Diversification into new uses and activities will provide the foundation for the new Paisley.

TOWN CENTRES IN THE 21ST CENTURY •

3.5

20

Oakshaw is an outstanding conservation area and a popular and distinctive residential enclave

•

Paisley is close to Glasgow‘s dynamic city economy and an international airport

•

there are excellent road and public transport linkages to Glasgow, the Clyde coast and the central belt.

These are advantages that many other towns in Scotland and the rest of the UK cannot match. Paisley is, unmistakably, a special place, with a distinctive character and personality.

We cannot afford to ignore or discount some of the troubling

3.7

The challenges facing Paisley are typical of the problems experienced by many medium sized towns in the UK. The declining quality and status of high street shopping is only the most visible symptom: many places have also seen a decline in civic functions, leisure and entertainment and professional and business services. Town centres are no longer at the heart of community life in the way they were a generation or two before. This raises fundamental questions about the purpose, role and functions of town centres in the 21st century.

3.8

A number of factors have served to undermine the traditional role of town centres. Four key, inter-connected

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factors are among the most important:

3.9

•

UK society is more prosperous than ever before, and most people have experienced a long term rise in living standards and disposable income: this means that citizens consume more goods and services, and have more choice about where and how they spend

•

increasingly, we are a society of empowered consumers of goods and services: as disposable income has increased so discretionary expenditure – on comparison goods, leisure, recreation and culture – has grown

•

there has been a dramatic increase in personal mobility: more people own cars and we drive more than ever before – to work, to shop and for leisure and recreation

•

these trends have created the conditions for a dramatic rise in out of town development: new centres of consumption on the fringes of every urban centre in the UK: supermarkets on the edge of towns, regional shopping and leisure centres and business parks.

Together, these forces – which have been unfolding over

Sma’ Shot Cottages

several decades - have had a transformational effect on the urban hierarchy. Previously, people had little choice but to “go to town” to shop, visit the bank or go to the pub, but in an era of unprecedented choice and rising aspirations town centres now need to compete with the attractions of major cities and out of town shopping and leisure centres. Instead of buying groceries in local shops, we drive to supermarkets and fill a trolley: on average, we make fewer shopping trips a week, but we buy in bulk. The impact of internet shopping is also beginning to make itself felt: the value of UK internet sales is closing in on total sales in department stores.

3.10

Meanwhile, businesses have been leaving traditional town centre locations and moving to more convenient modern space on the edge of town. Banks and building societies have been closing their high street branches, moving the customer interface to telephone and online services, and consolidating staff in back office locations and contact centres.

3.11

The result of these powerful economic and social trends has been a dramatic diminution of the role and status of small and medium-sized towns. Their share of retail and leisure expenditure has been squeezed as consumers have transferred their loyalty to the resurgent big cities; and to the value, convenience and improving quality of out of town centres. People have decided that traditional town centres

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 21

cannot compete, and they have been voting with their feet – and their wallets.

3.12

3.13

Of course, not everyone is sharing in Britain’s wealth and prosperity. A significant minority of people are excluded.

Traditional town centres are increasingly dependent on a captive market of people who are too old, too young or too poor to exercise the choices that the rest of society can make. This is a key factor in Paisley, where the town centre is ringed by low income neighbourhoods, whose residents are more likely – through lack of choice – to remain “loyal” to the town centre than people living in more prosperous areas.

In Paisley, like many other towns, department stores (often much-loved institutions) have closed, and many of the top multiple stores have left town. This is reflected in vacancies in Paisley’s prime retail pitch: a third of the units in the Paisley Centre are empty.

3.14

The problem is compounded because shop units in the old town centres are often small and inconvenient to service: they cannot compete with the large, flexible floorplates and dedicated service access available at out of town locations.

3.15

In the face of these events, the market adjusts more or less successfully. Town centre vacancy rates have risen in

22

response to new competition, but over time new occupiers emerge. In some high income areas these have included independent specialist shops, but typically premium retail brands are being replaced by value stores, amusement arcades and similar activities.

3.16

This is a market response to changing conditions; at least in the medium term, it will be the defining trend in Paisley’s retail offer. We can see the rise of value retail in the Piazza Centre and Causeyside Street, but also now in the High Street. The problem is that the quality and presentation of these new occupiers tends to have a negative impact on the town’s image and ambience. This can be seen as the start of a vicious circle, undermining the confidence of existing occupiers and deterring new investment except at the budget end of the market.

3.17

However, without value retailing, conditions would be even worse. The only sustainable response is to acknowledge the market realities while at the same time stimulating demand for higher order goods and services by increasing visits and footfall, especially by higher earners and more sophisticated consumers.

3.18

This is the difficult background to the present study. What has happened in Paisley in the past decade is reflected in towns of similar size and type throughout the UK. Nowhere

top: Gauze Street below: County Square

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is immune to these powerful forces and it would complacent and dishonest to suggest that there are any easy answers to a complex challenge.

3.19

What is needed is a radical and fundamental re-appraisal of the future role and function of Paisley and other town centres. Paisley’s future cannot lie in a return to the past: the world has changed fundamentally and traditional town centres need to find a new raison d’être. In our view, Paisley is better placed than most to make a change by virtue of its size, townscape quality and assets.

and Tesco have been signed up as anchor tenants, and the centre aims to attract up-market high street fashion and other multiples, as well as various leisure facilities.

3.22

SHOPPING IN PAISLEY 3.20 Traditional town centres have been exposed to fierce competition from major city centres and out of town retailing. The challenges for Paisley are particularly acute because the town is in the catchment area for Glasgow – consistently ranked second after London as the UK’s top retail location – and the Braehead shopping centre.

3.21

These competitive pressures will be compounded when the 1m square feet, £350m Silverburn shopping centre opens for business at Pollok in autumn 2007. Silverburn will be the fourth largest shopping centre in Scotland, after Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen; Debenhams, Marks & Spencer

3.23

Paisley’s town centre retailers cannot be expected to resist this array of competitive forces. The town centre has been “trading down” over an extended period, and the rate of decline has accelerated in the past 2-3 years, culminating in the recent closures of Arnotts and Littlewoods, and the impending loss of the Co-op department store. Marks and Spencer and WH Smith still occupy their traditional pitches at the heart of the town, but elsewhere Paisley has been losing a war of attrition as familiar brands depart the town and are replaced by value retailers.

The retail vacancy rate – though still high at around 20% of units – had been declining as the market adjusted to the effects of competition from Braehead. The closures of Littlewoods, the Co-op, Etam and others will push the vacancy rate up again, and the low level of retailer requirements reflects a lack of market confidence. A third of the units in the Paisley Centre are vacant, and the large Coop store will close shortly. Renfrewshire Council has been very active, working alongside owners to try to attract new tenants.

3 This represents 12% of floorspace, reflecting very high vacancy rates in secondary locations.

However, this pattern will shift as the effects of large scale closures feed through the system.

3.24

Ryden report that prime retail rents in Paisley increased by 11% between 2000 and 2006 while the Scottish average rose by 12%. However, substantial incentives such as rent-free periods are being offered, reflecting low demand.

There are only nine national retailers currently seeking town centre pitches, and Paisley has declined from the 148th most required town in the UK, to 411th in 2005.

3.25

Nevertheless, the market has responded to these conditions and departing high street names have been replaced by value retailing, especially in the Piazza Centre. Vacancy rates in the Piazza Centre remain relatively high, but are declining, and there is a sense that this location has adjusted more successfully to Paisley’s changed circumstances than the High Street or the Paisley Centre.

3.26

In the short to medium term the prospects for retail in Paisley are not good. The situation may well get worse before it gets better. Planned diversification at Braehead, the opening of Silverburn in 2007 and the consent granted for a superstore at Love Street will all ratchet up the pressure on the town centre. National retailers will inevitably review their positions in the light of these events and in advance of lease expiries. Some secondary locations are already beyond the point of no return, for example in Wellmeadow Street and at the south end of Causeyside Street, and here vacant units may need to revert

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 23

shopping in Paisley

24

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pubs and restaurants in Paisley

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 25

offices in Paisley

26

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residential in Paisley

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 27

to alternative uses, although this will be a complex process.

3.27

3.29

an overwhelmingly local catchment, although there is always the possibility that a nightclub or restaurant will gain a wider reputation. We are seeing the development of a “convenience” leisure offer based on bars, restaurants and cafes.

Faced with these pressures, a sensible course might well be to consolidate retail in the heart of the town centre, and actively encourage secondary locations to shift to new uses. The town needs to adapt more quickly to change, but this strategy may be constrained by: 3.30 •

the modest level of demand for residential, commercial and other uses in these transitional locations

•

the lack of incentives for institutional investors to reduce rents of upgrade vacant premises

•

the complex building configuration and tenure of traditional tenement buildings.

3.28

28

The commercial leisure market has followed a similar trajectory to retail, with a very high share of expenditure going to Glasgow and out of town locations; the opening of X-Scape at Braehead has introduced a major new attraction for local residents and the wider catchment area, and Silverburn will also have a significant leisure component.

The quality and market positioning of the offer will reflect the changing demography of the town’s resident and daytime populations. An increase in footfall, and in the number of high income households and high wage jobs in the centre of Paisley, will create more aspirational consumer demand and encourage entrepreneurs. The same effect could feed into speciality retail.

3.31

Similarly, a revival in Paisley’s fortunes as a business centre (and an expansion of commercialisation activity at the university) may help to create opportunities for a town centre hotel, perhaps associated with a health and fitness club.

3.32

There has been steady growth in the supply of office space in recent years, driven by conversions and redevelopments on the town centre fringes. The town has a total office stock of about 100,000 sq m, in 500 units. Vacancy rates are very high, with 68 units (14% of stock) available offering a total

MARKET TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

of 27,000 sq m of floorspace (27%) . Vacancy rates are particularly high for larger units.

Leisure developments in Paisley can be expected to serve

3.33

The increase in the amount of flexible, relatively low cost space has created volatile market conditions, but it has undoubtedly added to the vitality of the town. Conversion of existing buildings (for example, Mile End and Mirren Chambers) is viable in a market where office rentals are sub-marginal for new-build developments, and there may be opportunities to introduce new supply into the heart of the town.

3.34

The market for good quality office space is very competitive.

Ryden advise that Braehead Business Park and the edge of town centre Anchor One developments will satisfy much of the local and mobile demand for space in the near term, although the action plan (section 6) identifies opportunities for commercialisation activity and public sector relocations to boost demand for town centre locations.

3.35

The residential market has been strong in Paisley in recent years, and has played a key role in regeneration on the town centre fringes, for example, at Oakshaw and Anchor Mill. Residential development will have a key role to play in reviving the heart of the town. In this respect, Renfrewshire

This excludes Renfrewshire Council’s North Building, which will be replaced by residential development.

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Council’s decision to offer the 1.15 ha site of the North Building in Cotton Street for residential development could be vitally important. Creating a high quality residential enclave around the abbey will be a defining challenge for the new Paisley.

3.36

Glasgow Airport is not included in the study area, but is the subject of a separate study. It is one of the area’s key economic assets, although efforts to establish the airport as a catalyst for local development have met with mixed fortunes. For the purposes of this study, two issues should be highlighted: •

URBAN CHARACTER APPRAISAL 3.37

3.38

the planned rail link between Gilmour Street and the airport will strengthen Paisley’s status as a gateway to and from Scotland: although many passengers will simply pass through Paisley, others will access the airport using inter-connecting rail, coach and bus services (we return to this below) 3.39

•

the north end of the Cart Corridor continues to represent the best opportunity to create a modern business district serving the airport zone and providing space for Scottish and international businesses.

Although many of the challenges facing Paisley are common to most towns of its size and type, the study has also analysed the distinctive place qualities of Paisley town centre. We believe that Paisley is better placed to respond to the challenge of change than most of its peer group precisely because it has physical features and attributes that they lack.

Paisley has a somewhat tired and lived-in look, but it is a handsome town, with some distinguished historic buildings, fine townscape (including a skyline of towers), splendid public statues and a riverside setting. It has a rich history and heritage, reflected in the built form of the town, and its museum collections. Major roads and developments have had an impact on the town, but left the historic centre more or less intact.

However, the quality and integrity of the urban form tends to fall away on the edges of the town centre: •

the area immediately north of the railway (Niddry Street, Weir Street and Old Sneddon Street) is entirely dominated by traffic which – combined with the barrier effect of the Gilmour Street wall – is a severe constraint on development opportunities

•

the West End – which has itself been the subject of a recent study – has fallen on hard times: local shopping has almost collapsed, leaving a legacy of vacant and derelict buildings on Wellmeadow Street; housing in this area is unpopular and characterised by low prices and high tenant turnover

•

the eastern edge of the town centre is a transitional zone: the closure of the Arnott’s store had a major impact on this area, and the area bounded by Smithhills Street, Gauze Street, Incle Street and the railway is largely vacant and derelict, although there is still a parade of shops and commercial premises on the north side of Gauze Street.

3.40

Paisley has a new university, with a large student body including a growing number of overseas students who are beginning to give the town a more cosmopolitan feel.

However, the consensus of opinion is that Paisley is still a town with a university: it has not yet acquired the character of a true university town. There are a number of reasons for this: •

a high proportion of Paisley’s students are local residents who commute from home to study rather than live in the town

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 29

morphology

3.41

•

a significant proportion of the available student accommodation is in out of town locations

•

like other universities of its generation Paisley aims to optimise utilisation of its estate: the timetable aims to fill blocks of student time, and to discourage “downtime” on campus

•

the campus, though located close to the heart of Paisley, does not encourage interaction between town and gown: it is an enclosed area that contributes little to the public realm or to a more permeable urban form.

These are constraints that must be recognised. Paisley is not a traditional seat of learning and a conscious effort will be required to promote integration with the life and work of the community. Nevertheless, all parties have an interest in encouraging integration, especially at a stage when the university is planning to expand (through merger with Bell College) and, in all probability, re-brand: •

30

the university needs to offer a more stylish, enjoyable and lively urban environment – including attractive places for students to live – if it is to succeed in the increasingly competitive higher

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character areas

education market, and attract the best students, researchers and academic staff •

the town needs to cultivate the university as one of its most important economic and cultural assets, and a key driver of change and regeneration.

3.42

Paisley town centre has the potential to become an attractive and special place, making a valued contribution to the life of the community and the wider region. However, we are aware that this is not the popular image of Paisley, and that the town has suffered over many years from a bad press and a negative reputation. Our consultations confirmed that the town is too readily associated with violent crime, drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, heart disease and other social ills.

3.43

Whether or not this is “fair� is immaterial. The perception is that Paisley is a town in crisis and this will only change when the town has good news to tell and achievements to celebrate. This takes time: Dundee has achieved a remarkable turnaround in the past 15 years, but it has taken a long time to shake off the old image of poverty and bad labour relations.

3.44

Crucially, Paisley needs to help itself. In this report we have highlighted concerns about litter, vandalism, graffiti and

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 31

physical characteristics

anti-social behaviour – as well as the presence of derelict buildings and long-term gap sites. The town has made a big (and, in our view, successful) investment in the public realm, but this has not been matched by a commitment to the proper management and maintenance of streets and public spaces.

3.45

3.46

32

Successful places create a sense of comfort and well-being, but Paisley still presents an image of shabbiness and neglect. For example: •

the squalid pedestrian underpass linking Seedhill and the town centre

•

streets and alleys in the Oakshaw area strewn with glass

•

litter and rubbish in the river next to the town hall, and in public spaces.

There is a challenge here for the Council, property owners and traders. Despite the difficulties facing the town there has been a lot of investment in Paisley – by the private and the public sector – in the past decade. But poor maintenance, crime and anti-social behaviour undermine the effectiveness of this investment, and determine users’ experience and impressions of the town.

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views and landmarks

3.47

The monthly farmers’ markets are an undoubted success, but there are not enough events and activities to animate the town centre or to create an expectation among potential visitors that, if they go to town, there will be “something going on”. We recognise that the straitened circumstances of many town centre retailers make it difficult to enlist private sector support and sponsorship, but a partnership effort is required to create a climate of optimism and confidence.

TRANSPORT AND ACCESS 3.48

MRC McLean Hazel has reviewed transport and access issues in the study area. Their analysis has confirmed that while the town is generally well-connected to Glasgow and the wider region, the quality of much of the transport infrastructure leaves much to be desired. A number of general points can be highlighted: •

the town centre is almost encircled by dual carriageways and the north side is bounded by the Gilmour Street wall: as in many towns, the roads infrastructure isolates the centre of the town from the surrounding neighbourhoods and business locations

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 33

Central Road

34

Town Centre transport

•

points of entry to the town are generally unattractive and unwelcoming and – for drivers – hard to navigate

•

the town is generously provided with public transport services, but the quality of infrastructure and services is variable.

3.49

Pedestrian access to the town centre is relatively straightforward, but it is an inhospitable experience. All the principal routes into town involve crossing major roads, and waiting times at pedestrian crossings are often lengthy.

Entry points under the railway or through underpasses are unpleasant and sometimes intimidating.

3.50

Extensive pedestrianisation means that walking in the town centre is a more positive experience, although we have observed (and had reports of) anti-social behaviour in the principal streets. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are concerns about crime and safety, especially on the fringes of the town centre and out of hours.

3.51

It has been reported that some retailers and other stakeholders believe that pedestrianisation has been a cause of Paisley’s retail decline, although it should be noted that this view was not expressed at the scenarios

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workshop. We have not been able to test this proposition in the course of this study, but in our opinion (and based on the experience of other towns) it is unlikely to be a significant factor. However, the upkeep of the pedestrianised area, through proactive management and maintenance, is vital: good housekeeping helps to create a climate of confidence among traders and a sense of wellbeing among visitors (see para 3.44).

3.52

It is demonstrably the case that shoppers today prefer car-free environments, whether in malls or pedestrianised streets. However, especially in fragile retail environments there is a risk that street closures or restrictions on private cars may make access/egress problematic and deter people from visiting the town centre. For this reason we have recommended (in section 6) that traffic restrictions on Smithhills Road and Gauze Street should be reviewed.

3.53

Provision for cyclists is generally poor, with a lack of cycle lanes, strategic routes or bike storage to encourage usage.

There is reportedly very little cycle traffic in Paisley, but this is hardly surprising in a hostile and unwelcoming environment.

3.54

The town has an extensive array of public transport services by rail and bus. Gilmour Street has 8 trains an hour to and from Glasgow Central, supplemented by services on the

Paisley Canal line. Proposals for the rail link to Glasgow Airport are also well advanced, although realising the full benefits of Paisley’s rail connections would require a crossGlasgow link. Though heavily used, Paisley Gilmour Street is an unwelcoming station, and facilities for passengers are limited and spartan.

3.55

Paisley is the hub for an extensive network of local and sub-regional bus routes, including services to Braehead.

Arriva is the principal operator, but there are also numerous small operators. Some of the vehicles used by the latter are shabby and dirty and we understand that there are also problems with service reliability and information. The recent town centre streetscape scheme provided good quality bus shelters on the principal streets, but other services operate out of the grim and forbidding Central Road bus station.

3.56

The town’s road network is extensive, though fragmented in places. There is easy access to the M8 east and west of the town centre, and main roads to other local centres. Driving to and around the town is not a problem, but access to the town centre is more problematic and appears to require a degree of local knowledge. Drivers enter the town “through the back door”, there is no sense of arrival, and orientation is difficult.

3.57

A recent parking study by Buchanan suggests that parking

Gilmour Street Station

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 35

transport and access

provision is adequate, with two multistoreys and some surface and street parking. The Paisley Centre car park, though some distance from the shops, is clean and well-lit. By contrast Central Road is well located but ugly and forbidding.

36

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CONCLUSION 3.58

3.59

3.60

The challenges facing Paisley are complex and deepseated. They reflect the effects of profound economic and societal changes which have, among other things, undermined the traditional role of town centres and left Paisley – like many other places of its size and type – searching for a raison d’être in the 21st century.

symptom of the present malaise, the way forward lies in diversification: creating a rich mix of activities and uses to replace an unsustainable retail monoculture.

3.62

This study has shown that there is a high level of awareness and understanding among the PVB partners of these drivers of change. We have tried to show that, far from being unique, Paisley’s experience is typical of a whole raft of post-industrial towns in the central belt of Scotland and throughout the UK. Paisley’s decline is not “somebody’s fault”. We believe that there are things that the partners should do differently and better, but if there was an easy answer to Paisley’s problems someone would have found it already. The fact is that the challenges facing town centres are complex and intractable: there are no easy answers and no quick-fix solutions. Indeed, as we have indicated, things may well get worse before they get better.

However, this short review has shown that, while Paisley’s declining status as a shopping centre is the most obvious

•

leisure developments are subject to much the same market forces as retail

•

the office market – though volatile and hard to “read” – is very competitive and there is some evidence of over-supply, or at least of supplydemand mismatch

•

the university is an important asset, but resources are constrained and the institution will have to balance the estates requirements of three locations (Paisley, Ayr and Hamilton)

•

3.63 3.61

We do not pretend this will be easy. As we have seen:

low cost space for the creative and cultural industries may add to the diversity and urbanity of the town centre, but will inevitably require public sector intervention; so will new cultural assets.

Only the residential sector offers the prospect of private sector led development on a significant scale, although even here it is by no means certain that it will be possible

to cross-subsidise mixed use developments or investment in the public realm and/or transport infrastructure without public sector funding.

3.64

The clear conclusion, therefore, is that – while there is a pressing need for an exciting vision of the future to inspire and motivate the community and stakeholders – it will need to be underpinned by a practical, realistic and incremental approach to generate change in the study area, based essentially on creating the demand-side conditions which will boost business confidence and attract investment. This means, for example: •

providing attractive, high quality housing which will bring high net worth individuals and households to the heart of Paisley

•

bringing more students to live in the town, and encouraging more interaction between the town and the university

•

delivering modern workspace that will attract knowledge-based businesses, start-ups and university spin-outs to work in the town centre, as well as larger public sector and/or head office relocations

•

growing Paisley’s creative community.

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 37

3.65

3.66

3.67

38

Over an extended period, Paisley has been losing retail trade to new and powerful competitors, and market adjustment is leading inexorably towards a value shopping offer catering for low income consumers in the local catchment area; the leisure/entertainment offer has followed a similar trajectory. At the same time, the already small population of the central area has been reducing, and non-retail employment has also fallen.

We recommend a strategic response which will rebuild demand and create the conditions for new investment in quality convenience shopping; cafes, bars and restaurants; and – over time – the return of quality speciality shopping, such as bookshops, fashion stores and delicatessens. The public sector partners cannot make this happen directly: their job is to create the conditions which will restore market and investor confidence in Paisley.

This approach is consistent with the objectives of the draft SPP8 as well as those of the Paisley Vision Board, namely: •

encouraging investment in retail, office, commercial, leisure and housing

•

increasing footfall in the town centre

•

developing Paisley as a university town

•

capitalising on key buildings and spaces, and

•

marketing and promotion.

3.68

This study has shown that the continuing decline of the study area is not inevitable, and it maps out a strategy for a more sustainable and diverse future. However, the process of recovery will take time: it could take up to 5 years for Paisley to turn the corner, and a decade to achieve the transformational change described in this report.

3.69

In this period, the leadership role of the PVB partners will be pivotal. At a time when public, political and market confidence in the town centre is at a low ebb, the partners have a vital role to play by: •

championing the vision of an exciting and positive future for Paisley town centre

•

demonstrating their faith and commitment through proactive management of the town centre, a yearround events programme and effective marketing and promotion

•

mobilising the resources of partners and funding bodies in support of the action plan

•

engaging with the private sector to deliver development and regeneration.

3.70

The partners will need to match leadership and moral support with a substantial resource commitment. We are well aware of the budgetary pressures facing public sector organisations, and our strategy is therefore designed to encourage and accelerate market adjustment, and to stimulate private sector investment. However, it would be misleading to suggest that the development programme outlined here can be delivered without public sector intervention. We return to this in Section 7.

3.71

Similarly, the proactive management regime recommended here will require significant annual revenue funding.

Contributions may be sought from the private sector, but the burden will inevitably fall on the Council and its public sector partners. We recognise that this will involve tough decisions, but in our judgement action to create a livelier, safer, cleaner town centre – and to spread the word in the wider catchment area – is imperative, especially in what we anticipate will be a difficult next 2-3 years.

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4 the scenarios workshop

INTRODUCTION

4.1

A first-cut analysis of the challenges facing Paisley town centre formed the basis for discussion at a stakeholder workshop held in March 2006. The event was attended by about 30 people, including elected members, representatives of the PVB partners, business leaders and others.

4.4

they could look 10 years ahead. The purpose of this exercise was to reveal the group’s natural agenda by identifying some of the critical uncertainties.

•

will Paisley attract more tourists and day visitors?

Responses focused on nine key issues:

•

how will the relationship between the university and the town have evolved?

• 4.2

The objectives of the event were: •

•

•

4.3

to reach broad agreement on a diagnosis of the condition of the town centre and on its future prospects

the future of retail: what kind of shopping offer? will there still be any major national brands?

•

employment: how many jobs, and in what sectors?

•

the property market: will Paisley still be running with a high level of retail vacancies, or will the market have adjusted to new conditions?

to develop a series of future scenarios for Paisley, analysing how they might come about and what the implications might be, and

•

residents: how many people will be living in the town centre? what kind of social mix will there be?

taking account of the results of this exercise, mapping out a broad strategic direction.

•

will the town centre be safe and secure, or afflicted by crime and fear of crime?

image, or will it still be run down?

4.5

addressing the partners’ aspirations and concerns for Paisley A SUCCESSFUL PLACE? 4.6

THE ISSUES AGENDA

•

how will people travel to the town centre, and will roads and public transport have been upgraded?

In the first exercise, delegates were asked what they would like to know about the condition of Paisley town centre if

•

will the town centre have a positive and attractive

We used this natural agenda as a reference point throughout the workshop, to ensure that the emerging strategy was

The group was then invited to assess the Paisley town centre experience against the six key criteria for successful places set out in the Scottish Executive policy statement, Designing Places: •

distinctive identity

•

safe and pleasant

•

easy to move around, especially on foot

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 39

4.7

•

have a sense of welcome

•

can adapt to changing conditions

•

are sustainable and make good use of resources.

Five break-out groups gave Paisley marks out ten for each of these criteria. There were some variances, but the results were generally consistent, and the average scores were as follows: Criterion

Score

Identity

8.2

Safety

4.0

Movement

6.4

Welcome

5.6

Adaptable

5.6

Sustainable

4.4

Total

5.7

and a combative, confrontational attitude. The latter was thought to be in contrast to the friendly staff in shops and cafes, resulting in mixed scores for welcome. Scores for movement were generally positive, reflecting the perceived benefits of pedestrianisation.

4.9

Opinions varied on the town’s adaptability: some felt that the town’s strong urban form lent itself to adaptive re-use; others focused on a perceived failure to adapt to change and competitive threats. The declining physical condition of the town – reflected in gaps sites and the poor condition of many buildings – was taken as evidence that the town centre is not sustainable.

AUDITING THE ASSETS

4.10 A further plenary discussion identified existing or potential strengths and opportunities in Paisley town centre. In a short working session the group identified a provisional list, which included:

•

a strong community spirit, forged in adversity

•

a diverse mix of town centre activities: retail, administration, ecclesiastical, educational etc

•

a substantial employment base

•

a rich history and architectural heritage

•

accessibility to the airport and the motorway network and good public transport

•

the creation and expansion of the university

•

success of residential developments around the town centre, such as Anchor Mill.

DEVELOPING THE SCENARIOS 4.11 We then split into groups to develop three 10-year scenarios:

4.8

40

All the groups felt that Paisley had a strong and distinctive identity, which was reflected in its history, culture and heritage. However, it was acknowledged that this was a mixed blessing, and that the town was also popularly associated with crime (hence the low scores for safety)

• •

a large catchment population a strong (though sometimes ambiguous) brand image

•

the university town

•

the urban village, and

•

the enterprise centre

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Figure 4-1: The scenarios

4.12 The consultant team prepared a fourth scenario, Scotland’s Shoreditch, to describe a future based primarily on the creative and cultural industries (Figure 4-1).

4.13 The scenarios are not forecasts. Rather they are intended to explore the boundaries of the possible, and to test the feasibility, practicability and desirability of a range of strategic directions.

4.14 The University Town scenario described a vibrant, youthful and cosmopolitan town, with a large and growing resident student population helping to create the conditions for a lively evening economy, niche retailing and a café culture.

An expanding university would create iconic buildings on derelict land, and be the mainstay for a year-round programme of events and festivals.

there is a long way to go before it becomes the dynamic driving force described in this scenario. The university is also held back by the town’s negative image and reputation.

Above all, the group was not convinced that the resources required for a major capital investment programme would be achievable.

4.17 The Urban Village scenario described a repopulated town centre following a decade of residential development. Most of the new housing would be flats built in the heart of the town and offering an affordable city living experience for young urban professionals, academics and others. Many of the new residents would travel to work in Glasgow, but others would work locally – in the university, the public sector and knowledge-based businesses. This influx of higher earners would support new cafes, restaurants and speciality shops, as well as sports and leisure facilities.

4.15 The attractions of this scenario were clear, and there would be further spin-offs in terms of knowledge based jobs and new cultural attractions. The town would become more attractive to sophisticated, high paid individuals, whether or not they were directly associated with the university. Paisley would be plugged into new global knowledge networks.

4.18 The benefits of this scenario would include a more liveable town, with more day-round activity and cleaner and safer streets. Increased local demand would encourage investment and the development of gap sites and redundant buildings.

4.16 However, the group was sceptical that the university could bear the burden of the whole regeneration effort. It does not have a high profile in UK or international markets, and

4.19 However, there was a perceived risk that gentrification would polarise the community, and that the urban village would not address the needs of local people. The town’s

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 41

current image – especially its reputation for crime – was thought to be a constraint on this scenario.

4.20 The Enterprise Centre scenario envisaged a town centre based on a thriving population of small and microbusinesses. A combination of high quality new build offices and conversions of existing premises would accommodate start up businesses, professional services, creative businesses and university spin outs. The town would develop a reputation for entrepreneurship, stimulated in part by the Paisley Enterprise Research Centre, and new mixed use developments would include live-work units.

4.21 The benefits of this scenario in terms of wealth creation, jobs and town centre vitality were recognised, and it was felt to reflect the potential for synergy between the university and the town. It would boost demand for town centre shops, cafes and restaurants, and for a business hotel.

4.22 However, doubts were expressed about the viability of this model. The town centre was perceived to be a less attractive business location than some more convenient out of town locations. Significant public sector support would be required, and conversion of much of the traditional town centre stock would be complex and time consuming. It was argued that Paisley might require a dedicated regeneration vehicle such as an urban regeneration company to mobilise 42

the necessary resources.

4.23 Scotland’s Shoreditch described a scenario based on the creative and cultural industries. Paisley would become a community of practising artists and creative enterprises. Key features would include: a WASPS-style studio/production complex and a creative industries incubator. Vacant shops would be used as artists’ studios and theatre workshops; the museum would document post-industrial life; and there would be a major annual festival of the contemporary arts.

4.24 This would be lively, edgy, cosmopolitan Paisley. There would be some rough edges, but the town would become a magnet for Scotland’s creative community, attracted by the availability of low-cost workspace and a vibrant cultural scene.

4.25 Delegates saw this as an attractive strategy for regeneration and recovery, but they acknowledged that it might be resisted by local people and businesses fearing that the economic benefits would be limited. The economics of the strategy were problematic: it would require capital and revenue funding and was unlikely to be attractive to conventional investors and property owners.

IMPLICATIONS FOR STRATEGY 4.26 Each of the scenarios had its attractions, and the exercise demonstrated how existing and/or latent assets could be translated into new strategic directions to create economic opportunity. The common theme to emerge was the need to encourage new groups of people to choose Paisley as a place to live, work, study and create.

4.27 At present the town centre is over-dependent on a declining captive market of low-income individuals and families.

It was recognised that, in an inclusive society, Paisley needs to continue to serve the needs of these people for convenience shopping and value comparison goods and services. But this needs to be balanced by action to: •

increase the resident population of the town centre, and to attract higher income groups

•

grow and diversify the employment base, with a particular focus on knowledge-based jobs

•

attract more students to the university and, in particular, increase the number of UK and international students living in Paisley

•

grow the creative community.

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4.28 The group recognised that none of the scenarios was feasible or sustainable on its own, but that taken together they showed the potential for regeneration and renewal. It followed that the strategy should aim to reduce dependency on retail by creating new attractors based on a rich mix of town centre uses and activities.

4.29 The scenarios also highlighted potential risks and pitfalls, including:

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY ACTION 4.31 Recognising the long-term nature of the task, the group was asked to identify some early actions that would make a positive difference in the next 2-3 years. Recommendations included: •

better management, maintenance and cleaning of streets and public spaces

ignoring market realities and pursuing a highly subsidy-dependent development model

•

more energetic marketing and promotion to generate

•

a dash for gentrification, which may alienate local people

•

providing street wardens and increasing the police presence in the town centre

•

the risks of a supply-led approach running ahead of demand for workspace, artists’ studios etc

•

incentives to improve unattractive and low quality shop fronts and decaying buildings

•

productive short-term use (for example, galleries or studio space) for empty shops.

•

•

inability to mobilise sufficient private and public sector resources.

4.30 It was agreed that there were genuine grounds for optimism, and that Paisley was well placed achieve transformational change in the next decade. However, the group recognised that the change process will take time, and that it will require leadership, courage and patience to achieve a positive outcome.

a flow of good news stories

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 43

44

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5 developing the strategic proposition 5.1

5.2

5.3

Following the scenarios workshop the consultant team started work on developing a strategic proposition for Paisley town centre. We set out to develop a robust, evidence-based proposition that would combine: •

a positive and inspiring vision of the future, with

•

a realistic, practicable, market-led approach to delivery.

In particular we were anxious to avoid the optimism bias which is endemic in economic development practice in the UK. The Treasury has highlighted optimism bias as a chief cause of under-achievement and overspend in regeneration initiatives. The implicit assumption underlying many of these flawed initiatives is that “innovative ideas” or “iconic buildings” will somehow cause the laws of economics and human behaviour to be suspended: they won’t be, and this approach leads inevitably to disappointment and frustration.

In framing this strategy we have therefore taken a rigorous and dispassionate view of the evidence summarised in section 3, while also seeking to identify the strengths and assets (sometimes hidden or forgotten) that might provide the basis for regeneration and renewal.

5.4

Our approach is therefore based on a set of guiding principles: •

there is no realistic prospect that Paisley can win back its former status as a shopping centre in the foreseeable future, but the right strategies can help to maintain a viable retail core

and available supply: the town centre should be the preferred location for start-ups and small businesses, as well as public sector relocations •

the university is a key economic and cultural asset which has not been fully exploited: integrating town and campus should be a top priority

•

the competitive pressures on Paisley will intensify when Silverburn opens for business in 2007, and may trigger more store closures

•

Paisley’s cultural offer is modest for a town of its size, but there are some worthwhile assets to build on

•

the process of market adjustment means that Paisley is set to become a value retail centre, anchored by a small core of quality high street brands

•

•

however, in the medium-long term, regeneration and diversification will help to create the demand conditions for a quality retail and leisure revival

Paisley’s architecture and townscape are key assets but the physical condition of the town centre has degraded as its economic fortunes have declined: the strategy therefore needs to focus on making Paisley a more attractive place

•

the town is generally well-connected, but road access to the town is confusing and compromised, the environment for pedestrians and cyclists is hostile and unwelcoming, and aspects of the public transport infrastructure need to be upgraded

•

the strategy is designed to change the demographic base by attracting under-represented social groups to live, work and visit, but it must also be an

•

residential development represents the best prospect for market-led regeneration in the heart of Paisley, and may present opportunities for crosssubsidy and mixed use development

•

the office market is volatile and there is evidence of a mismatch between present day demand

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 45

inclusive and welcoming place for disadvantaged and lower income residents •

regeneration and redevelopment in the town centre will be a complex process: the physical configuration of the tenemental stock, multiple ownerships and existing long leases all need to be factored into the equation.

•

broadly comparable scale: we have focused on medium-sized towns with a population between 50,000 and 100,000

•

proximity to a major city: like Paisley, Doncaster and Halifax are second tier centres close to a major regional city

•

post-industrial towns: Doncaster, Halifax and Scunthorpe are towns which, like Paisley, were previously major industrial centres

•

towns that have developed innovative regeneration strategies and delivery mechanisms.

LEARNING FROM BEST PRACTICE 5.5

In developing the strategy we have also aimed to learn from the successes and failures of comparable towns and cities in the UK, especially those located close to large regional cities. We have identified four comparator towns: 5.7

5.6

46

•

Doncaster

•

Halifax

•

Scunthorpe

•

Taunton

The criteria we used to select the towns can be summarised as follows:

5.8

None of the four towns is offered as an exemplar. Their respective regeneration strategies are best described as work in progress, and it is too early to say whether they have succeeded in achieving sustainable regeneration. However, our review has confirmed that the towns selected exhibited many of the same symptoms of decline as Paisley, and that each has developed an imaginative and holistic response to the challenges identified.

Three of the towns (Doncaster, Halifax and Scunthorpe) are participating in Yorkshire Forward’s Renaissance Towns

and Cities programme, which has gained an international reputation for its innovative work in towns that were previously off the policy radar. In some respects, Taunton is the outlier in this peer group: it is a medium-sized rural town, within striking distance of Bristol but not fully integrated into the city-region. However, the Taunton Vision is regarded as an exemplar urban regeneration strategy, and it has some important themes in common with Paisley.

5.9

Doncaster (population 100,000) is in South Yorkshire and is one of three medium-sized towns (the others are Barnsley and Rotherham) in the Sheffield city region. The partners developed the Doncaster Renaissance Charter, which set out their shared ambitions for the town. The Charter provided the basis for a strategic vision for the town, underpinned by eight key themes: •

converting a section of the inner ring road into a great urban street, lined with shops and commercial buildings

•

reconnecting the town centre to its neglected waterways

•

creating a mixed-use urban quarter

•

restoring the town’s covered market and creating a

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new town square •

creating a hierarchy of public spaces

•

regeneration of the town centre’s Waterdale district as a mixed use quarter for the arts, culture and education

•

creating an education city

•

promoting ease of movement.

images from the Doncaster Renaissance Masterplan

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 47

5.10

48

Halifax (85,000) is a former textile manufacturing town in the Leeds-Bradford conurbation; it was one of the renaissance towns identified by Yorkshire Forward and is now the subject of a regeneration strategy whose themes include: •

development of the Dean Clough Mills complex as a focal point for the creative and cultural industries

•

restoration of the distinctive Victorian markets and arcades as a speciality shopping centre

•

regeneration of the historic Piece Hall as a visitor attraction and events space

•

reclaiming the abandoned valley of the Hebble Brook as a new urban village of 300-400 homes in a town centre location, and resisting proposals for more retail sheds in this sensitive site

•

a lighting strategy for Halifax’s rich architectural and townscape heritage.

images from the Halifax Renaissance Masterplan

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5.11

Scunthorpe (77,000) is a steel making town in North Lincolnshire. The Scunthorpe Declaration sets out a vision underpinned by seven strategic themes, one of which is about creating a strong, attractive, vibrant town centre, capable of pulling its weight in the sub-region. The signatories to the declaration will focus on four priority actions in the town centre: •

promoting and developing the centre of Scunthorpe as an attractive, distinctive and well-performing destination

•

intensification and diversification of the town centre through mixed use development, focusing on four key nodes

•

improving the quality of the town centre by enhancing the public realm, and

•

developing a cultural quarter around Church Square.

images from the Scunthorpe Framework - a transformational strategy

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 49

images from the Taunton Urban Design Framework

5.12

50

Taunton, Somerset (61,000) is a less obvious comparator, although its role as an administrative and educational centre is relevant, and like Paisley it has a fine medieval church at its heart, as well as an under-exploited riverside.

The recently published town centre masterplan (by Terence O’Rourke) is widely regarded as one of the best of its type, setting out a compelling vision for the town, including the recovery of under-used and brownfield sites on the fringes of the town centre. The key outputs include: •

80,000 sq m of employment space, including modern offices and a 150-bed hotel

•

50,000 sq m of retail and leisure facilities

•

2,000 new residential units (houses and apartments)

•

upgrading the cricket ground to international standard

•

a new theatre, library and cultural centre

•

a new transport interchange

•

two new river crossings

•

enhancement of 2km of the riverfront.

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5.13

5.14

The common themes running through the four case studies are: •

the critical importance of reducing dependency on retail by diversifying and intensifying town centre activities

•

the key role of mixed use developments as a driver of change

•

capitalising on educational, cultural and historical assets

•

regenerating neglected and forgotten places such as rivers, redundant buildings and brownfield land

•

establishing a coherent, legible urban form and a hierarchy of public spaces

•

investing in public transport infrastructure and improving access to the town centre.

These themes inform our recommended strategy for Paisley town centre. They reflect the merits of working with the market grain and of capitalising on the distinctive attributes and qualities of the place. They reflect the

5.15

•

has a reputation for excellence in higher education

experience and insights of stakeholders and practitioners in comparable post-industrial towns, and in particular the fruits of a multi-million pound investment in Yorkshire Forward’s Renaissance Towns and Cities programme.

•

is a centre for enterprise with a growing business base

A VISION OF PAISLEY TOWN CENTRE IN 2016

•

has a vibrant creative and cultural life

Based on the guiding principles, and drawing on the case studies, we have framed a 10-year strategic vision for Paisley town centre:

•

is the local capital and administrative centre

•

is welcoming, accessible and connected.

Paisley town centre will emerge from a decade of transformation with a renewed sense of pride, optimism and purpose. It will be a living, working community: an exemplar for the reinvention of traditional town centres in the 21st century, fulfilling a vital and valued role in the life of the community – and the wider metropolitan region – as an attractive historic riverside town which: •

has a growing residential population enjoying the benefits of town centre living

•

offers an attractive package of quality convenience shopping, restaurants, cafes and nightlife

and research

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 5.16

We have developed a strategy for the regeneration and transformation of Paisley which is based on eight themes and strategic objectives: •

Theme 1: Living in the town centre: our objective is to repopulate the heart of Paisley by making it a popular and attractive place to live.

•

Theme 2: Shopping and leisure: our objective is to establish a viable and sustainable shopping and leisure offer focused on serving the needs of growing

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transfor mation | 51

resident, student and workforce markets.

• •

52

Theme 3: University town: our objectives are to move Paisley from “a town with a university” to a real university town – lively, stylish and cosmopolitan – and to integrate the campus into the fabric of the town.

•

Theme 4: Paisley for enterprise: our objective is to increase knowledge-based private sector employment in the town centre by encouraging commercialisation and providing modern workspace.

•

Theme 5: Culture and creativity: our objectives are to enhance the quality of Paisley’s cultural offer, to encourage cultural production and grow the creative industries.

•

Theme 6: Government and administration: our objectives are to consolidate Paisley’s role as a centre of local government and administration, and to attract public sector relocations.

•

Theme 7: Accessible and connected: our objectives are to make Paisley a more accessible and welcoming place, and to improve the quality of its parking and transport infrastructure.

5.17

Theme 8: Quality and style: our objective is to discover, celebrate and enhance Paisley’s distinctive townscape.

A recommended action plan, which describes priorities for action under each of these objectives, is set out in Section 6.

july 2006 | yellow book

6 action plan PLANNING FOR A DECADE OF TRANSFORMATION 6.1

6.2

commitment and determined leadership from the Paisley Vision partners

In this section of the report we set out a recommended action plan for the next five years. The plan is designed to accelerate the process of change and market adjustment in Paisley town centre, and to create the platform for continuing transformational change in the next decade.

• the plan should be predicated on mobilising private sector investment, but a significant investment by the public sector will be required to create a climate of confidence • the plan should comprise a sustainable mix of capital investment and revenue programmes: management and promotion of the town centre is key.

In framing the action plan we have adhered to the following guiding principles: • the plan should be ambitious and challenging, but also realistic: the challenges facing Paisley are complex and deep-seated and they require a bold response, but they must be grounded in a robust appraisal of market conditions • the plan should offer a comprehensive package of measures: the decline of Paisley town centre has been long-term and systemic, and narrow single-issue responses will not make a lasting difference • the plan should set out clear priorities for action, recognising that resources – financial and organisational – are under severe pressure

6.3

The following action plan is based on the eight themes highlighted in Section 5, and embraces a total of 18 recommended priorities for action. The action plan is summarised in Figure 6-2 overleaf, and described in detail in the following pages. Figure 6.3 illustrates the principal physical interventions proposed in the action plan

6.4

The summary includes nominal cost estimates, which should be treated as indicative only. In total we estimate that the programme will require additional public expenditure in the order of £9.5m over the next 5-7 years, depending on the rate of progress. The broad breakdown of expenditure is summarised in Figure 6.1:

Figure 6.1: Estimated public sector funding

Expenditure Type

Public Sector (£K)

Total Development Costs (£K)

Assisting property development

5,000

40-50,000

Cultural investment

1,000

not known

Infrastructure

1,000

not known

Public realm

2,100

not known

385

not known

Consultancy/project development TOTAL

9,585

• implementing the plan will require long-term paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 53

Figure 6-2: Action Plan Summary Themes

1. Living in the town centre

2. Shopping and leisure

Priorities for action

Year 1: development brief/master plan Year 2: delivery model Year 3+: development in phases

1.2 Student housing

University of Paisley Private sector Renfrewshire Council Private sector Town Centre Team Renfrewshire Council Town Centre Team Renfrewshire Council SE Renfrewshire Town Centre Team Renfrewshire Council University of Paisley Renfrewshire Council SE Renfrewshire University of Paisley Private sector Renfrewshire Council Private sector SE Renfrewshire See Eastern Arc (Priority 8.3)

Year 1: agree strategy Years3-5: deliver housing

Town Centre Team Renfrewshire Council WASPS or similar Private sector SE Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Council SE Renfrewshire

Year 1: develop programme Year 2+: deliver Years 1-3: develop business model Year 3+: deliver

30

1,0009

30

50010

Year 1: Research and develop package as part of Eastern Arc strategy Years 2-3: provide serviced site Year 3+: promote and develop

30

See 8.3

2.1 Convenience shopping

3.1 Campus design strategy

3.2 Student quarter

4.1 Serviced business centre 4.2 Mixed use development

5. Culture and creativity

5.1 Cultural experience 5.2 Creative production

6. Government and administration

54

Indicative public sector expenditure (ÂŁk)5 Y1 Y2+ See 8.3

Private sector Renfrewshire Council Communities Scotland

2.3 Winter lights

4. Paisley for enterprise

Timescale (Indicative)

1.1 Eastern Arc residential development

2.2 Events, marketing and promotion

3. University town

Lead partner(s) (Support)

6.1 Public sector relocations

Year 1 and ongoing

Year 1: develop programme and early actions Year 2+: deliver Year 1: commission lighting design Year 2: switch on winter 2008 Year 1-2: develop design strategy Years 3-5: implementation Years 1-2: agree strategy Years3-5: delivery Years 2-3: develop business model Year 4+: develop centre

Nil6

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil7

Nil

20

100

50

500

See 1.2/4.1

Nil

1,0008

See 8.3

july 2006 | yellow book

Themes

7. Accessible and connected

Priorities for action

7.1 Road access and parking

Renfrewshire Council Private sector

7.2 Public transport hub

Renfrewshire Council Strathclyde Passenger Transport Renfrewshire Council

7.3 Walking and cycling

8. Quality and style

Lead partner(s) (Support)

8.1 Urban form 8.2 Public space

8.3 Eastern Arc

Renfrewshire Council SE Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Council SE Renfrewshire University of Paisley Private sector Private Sector Renfrewshire Council SE Renfrewshire

Timescale (Indicative) Years 1-2: research, design and development (factor parking into private sector-led packages) Years 3-5: implement Years 1-2: Project development and early actions Years 3-4: Deliver hub Year 1: planning + implement management etc measures Years 2-4: implement proposals Year 1: urban design strategy Year 2+: staged implementation See Priority 8.1

Year 1: development brief / masterplan Year 2: delivery model Year 3+: development in phases

TOTAL

Indicative public sector expenditure (£k) Y1 Y2+ 50 50011

50

50012

25

100

50

Nil13 1,50014

50

3,50015

385

9,200

5 Additional expenditure; excludes recurring revenue expenditure 6 Assumes student housing is funded by the University: no additional expenditure 7 Revenue expenditure: see Section 7 8 Estimated total development cost £3.5m 9 Nominal partner contribution to 5-year capital programme to upgrade cultural venues 10 Estimated total development cost: £1.5m 11 Nominal public sector contribution over 5 years: projects to be part funded by private sector. Cost of new car park included in Project 8.3 12 Nominal additional expenditure. Project assumed to be part-funded through Eastern Arc (8.3); improvements to Gilmour Street station assumed to form part of SPT/Scottish Executive proposals for the airport rail link 13 Costs included in Priority 8.2 14 Nominal contribution to 5 year programme; significant elements will be delivered through the Eastern Arc (Priority 8.3) 15 Estimated total development cost £35-40m for housing-led scheme. Table shows nominal public sector contribution to deliver office space, affordable housing, public realm, parking and transport infrastructure

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 55

Fig 6.3 physical interventions overview

56

july 2006 | yellow book

Theme 1: Living in the town centre 6.5

6.6

This is the element of the strategy most likely to attract private sector investment in the short term, encouraged by the recent success of Anchor Mill, the regeneration of Oakshaw and other residential schemes. However, a key challenge for the partners will be to ensure that the architectural/design quality of residential schemes enhances the town centre and helps to create a positive new image for Paisley.

The success of the Anchor Mill development shows the potential to capitalise on Paisley’s fine buildings and townscape to create popular and stylish new locations for urban living. Now we want to see new houses and apartments in the heart of the town, especially in the Eastern Arc, which will help to animate the town centre and create demand for local shops and other services. Student housing will also have a key role to play.

mixed use development into the area north of Gauze Street, and to re-establish street form along Bridge Street.

The regeneration of this area – the Eastern Arc - may also include a new multi-storey car park and a transport hub (Priority 8.3).

6.8

6.9

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION Priority 1.1 Eastern Arc: residential-led mixed use development 6.7

The site of the Council’s north building is available for residential development. There is also potential to extend

6.10

We see this as a key location, which requires high quality development to provide an appropriate context for the abbey church and the town hall, transforming under-used open spaces around the abbey into a modern abbey close.

Development in this area also provides an opportunity to restore integrity and coherent form to the eastern edge of the town centre, mitigating the visual and environmental impact of the dual carriageway on Mill Street, and creating an attractive new riverside street.

affordable housing in the development.

6.11

We recommend that the Council should give guidance and direction to potential investors by commissioning a development brief for this key location. The aim should be to create a new urban quarter which will have a transformational effect on the image and urban environment of Paisley, and to set the benchmark for housing-led regeneration in Scotland. With this in mind, we recommend that the development brief should include a requirement for energy efficient homes.

6.12

Under Priority 8.3 we have mapped out some guiding principles for the redevelopment of the Eastern Arc. Given the importance and sensitivity of this area, we recommend that Renfrewshire Council should seek early advice and guidance on the scheme from Architecture + Design Scotland.

The area north of Gauze Street includes a significant proportion of derelict/under-used land and buildings, including the former Arnott’s store. This area is an ideal site for mixed use development, which may accommodate office space (priority 4.2) as well as student housing.

Abbey Close will be a very attractive and distinctive location, and we envisage that the majority of the units (principally apartments, but with some town houses) will be for sale at prices at the top of the local market range, although the partners may also want to seek an element of

Priority 1.2 Student Housing 6.13

The University of Paisley is likely to require new sites for student housing, to accommodate increased demand by students from the rest of the UK and overseas as well as temporary accommodation for visiting academics, researchers and conference delegates. There is also a need

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 57

to replace existing stock in George Street, which is not considered suitable for modern requirements and is likely to be sold off.

6.14

6.15

BEST PRACTICE MODELS 6.16

Increasing the number of students living in the town centre will add to the vitality of Paisley town centre, not least because levels of car ownership will be relatively low.

Vacation lets to overseas students, budget travellers and conference delegates will help to generate year-round benefits. The Paisley Vision partners need to encourage the University to commit to locating the next generation of student accommodation in the town centre, rather than in peripheral locations, and must be prepared to influence the content of mixed use developments to achieve this.

There are a number of specialist developers of student housing, but design standards are often disappointing.

Although these will not be high-spec units, every effort must be taken to ensure that design quality and construction standards make a positive contribution to the town centre.

Possible locations include the Arnott’s site in Gauze Street, the derelict County Bingo site in Wellmeadow Street, and the West End.

Exemplar schemes reviewed by the consultant team include: •

masterplan for a high density, mixed use riverside development at St Mary le Port, Bristol, subject of a recent positive appraisal by CABE

•

New Islington: a large scale residential-led regeneration scheme in Manchester: the masterplan has recovered lost waterways

•

residential development at St Mildred’s Tannery, Canterbury inserted successfully into an historic urban setting and including the re-use of industrial buildings

•

student housing as part of a mixed use development at Brayford Quays, Lincoln: like Paisley, Lincoln is a new university and the local partners have encouraged the creation of a student quarter.

Theme 2: Shopping and leisure 6.17

58

“cheap and cheerful” shopping experience which is at odds with the partners’ aspirations for the town centre and the image of Paisley. Other towns in the west of Scotland such as Clydebank, Airdrie, Dumbarton and Motherwell have followed a similar trajectory, and none has been able to stem the cycle of decline.

The market mechanism is repositioning Paisley as a value shopping centre. The problem is that this is creating a

6.18

Paisley cannot realistically expect to claw back its former status as a comparison shopping centre, or to attract premium high street names in the face of intense local competition. A more productive and sustainable approach may be to focus on developing Paisley’s role as a local centre, providing convenience shopping and leisure for growing residential, student and office worker markets – augmented by a programme of markets and events to capture discretionary expenditure from the sub-regional market.

6.19

In the short term there is inevitably an element of managing decline, but the strategy aims to generate new sources of demand which, over time, will create the conditions for a sustainable retail/leisure revival, reflecting the spending power and lifestyle aspirations of new residents, office workers and students. We therefore believe that a quality comparison shopping offer (including, for example, delicatessens, fashion, books and music) can be reestablished, but not in the short term.

july 2006 | yellow book

6.20

We reviewed the experience of Gateshead, Dudley, Rotherham, Birkenhead and other medium-sized towns faced with competition from nearby out of town shopping centres and large regional cities. By general consent, these towns have struggled to adapt and diversify, while comparable centres such as Halifax, Darlington and Wolverhampton have diversified and enriched the town centre offer in order to offer an attractive alternative for shoppers and visitors.

6.25 6.23

The vision is of a scaled down core of quality food and comparison shopping, complemented by: •

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION Priority 2.1: Convenience shopping and leisure 6.21

6.22

The public sector partners should work in partnership with property owners, investors, retailers and agents to encourage a shift towards quality town centre convenience shopping and leisure to serve growing residential, student and office worker markets.

Over a 3-5 year period, the aim will be to shift the retail balance in the prime High Street/Paisley Centre pitch away from a failing comparison shopping offer and towards a more sustainable mix which will include food, cafes, restaurants and bars. Maintaining a sustainable level of quality comparison shopping will continue to be a priority, and particular attention should be given to the marketing

time, the core area should see the arrival of speciality shopping - including books, music, fashion and food – as well as quality restaurants, cafes and bars.

and promotion of the key Littlewood’s store, and to raising occupancy levels in the Paisley Centre and immediately adjoining units in the High Street in order to maintain a viable retail core.

•

•

6.24

value shopping in the Piazza Centre and Causeyside Street: this is an essential element of the town centre mix, catering for the needs of local residents, but the aim should be to steer the value sector into these preferred locations and to discourage “creep” into the prime pitch a mix of leisure (cafes, bars, restaurants) and retailcommercial premises in the transitional areas immediately adjoining the core including High Street (west), New Street and Causeyside Street (south) a food store as a key element in a mixed use development on the former Arnott’s site.

In the medium term, establishing a viable and sustainable trading position will create the conditions for the return of quality retailers to Paisley, as new residents, including students, and a growing workforce generate demand. Over

By definition, these objectives will be delivered by the private sector. The public sector partners cannot compel operators to invest in Paisley, but they can create the right environment for market adjustment by: •

establishing and championing a clear vision which is challenging, but practicable and realistic

•

creating a supportive policy context, including rigorous application of the sequential text to prevent counter-productive local competition from retail parks and edge of town sites

•

engaging with the private sector and promoting the vision to prospective investors/ operators

•

confidence-building measures, including grant support for building facelifts and encouraging positive short-term use of vacant units

•

pro-active marketing, promotion and housekeeping.

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 59

Priority 2.2: Events, marketing and promotion 6.26

6.27

6.28

60

BEST PRACTICE MODELS

A year-round programme of events and festivities will help to generate additional footfall, stimulate trade and create a climate of confidence. A targeted programme will also help to penetrate new markets by attracting visits from customers who would not normally come to Paisley.

•

arts festivals: street performance/open air cinema

•

food festival

•

community events

A key element of the programme should be to maximise the use of County Square as a market place and events venue.

The markets programme might include: increased scale and frequency of the popular farmers’ markets, perhaps including an annual food festival; antiques/book fairs; craft markets; flower/plant markets; annual Christmas market.

•

civic festivities

•

university freshers’ week

•

classic car rallies.

County Square should also act as a focal point for a yearround programme of events and festivals, acting as a welcome/orientation point, an outdoor performance space and a market place. There is an opportunity for further investment in County Square, linked to proposals for an upgraded transport hub (priority 7.2). This might enable high quality temporary tented structures to be erected.

Neighbouring indoor exhibition/performance spaces (for example, the Town Hall and Wynd Centre) may also be used.

Possible events themes include:

6.30

Exemplar models reviewed by the consultant team include: •

the urban renaissance strategy for Barnsley, which recognises the need for refocusing and scaling down retail, and diversifying town centre activity

•

successful insertion of food stores in town centre locations such as Ludlow, and retail as a key element of mixed use development at Raglan Street, Wolverhampton

•

Canterbury has introduced a highly successful programme of events and festivals, targeted primarily on local/sub-regional markets

•

Gloucester has introduced new Christmas lights designed by a lighting artist working in collaboration with local school children; the annual switch-on includes an artificial snow storm in the centre of the city

•

Walsall’s autumn illuminations are a long standing tradition which attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the town each year.

Priority 2.3: Winter lights 6.29

Paisley’s Christmas lights are a much-loved institution, but they have become tired and dated. We recommend that the partners should explore the potential to create a dazzling new winter lights display, as part of a winter festival programme which would also include a Christmas market and other outdoor entertainments. The display should be designed so that, at reasonable cost, it can be adapted and updated every year.

july 2006 | yellow book

the campus, and that student accommodation in George Street may be sold off. The action plan envisages a longterm programme of investment to upgrade the campus and the university gateways, based on the implementation of an urban design strategy.

Theme 3: University town 6.31

6.32

Following the planned merger of the University of Paisley with Bell College, the Paisley campus will be the administrative headquarters of an expanded university for the west of Scotland. The new university will aim to raise its profile in the Scottish, UK and international higher education markets, and to attract more graduate and undergraduate students.

6.35

There is an expectation that the university will expand and build on existing research strengths such as accounting & finance and European studies, and that the Innovation and Research Office will be the catalyst for increased commercialisation activity; the Scottish Institute for Enterprise will play a key role in stimulating new firm formation.

6.34

An ambitious new university will need to invest in its estate.

Although funding for capital projects in the HE sector is limited, it is clear that the quality of the Paisley campus needs to be enhanced to create an appropriate image for a progressive, modern higher education institution.

Our understanding is that (in the short to medium term) development of the core administrative and teaching facilities will be contained within the existing footprint of

We recognise that any programme to upgrade the campus must be pragmatic and realistic. The resources are not available for a radical re-casting of the site in the short term, and the aim must therefore be to adopt a robust urban design strategy, including architectural guidelines and proposals for the public realm, which will guide and direct the development of the campus over the next 5-10 years.

6.38

The strategy should identify a number of affordable shortterm interventions, including investment in public and semi-public spaces designed to create meeting places and events spaces on the campus; and to improve permeability and strengthen connections with the town. This will help to transform an enclosed campus into a lively urban quarter.

We also recommend that the gateways to the university should be upgraded.

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION Priority 3.1: Urban design strategy 6.36

6.33

The university can also be expected to have a significant presence elsewhere in the town centre, notably in an emerging student quarter close to the university and through student accommodation in town centre sites (Priority 1.2).

6.37

The University of Paisley campus has been the subject of significant capital investment in the past decade, including new build, cladding of existing buildings and internal re-organisation and re-fits. This investment has enabled the university to respond to changing patterns of learning and to improve the utilisation of its estate. However, the architectural and design quality of the campus remains undistinguished and the university still reflects its origins as a technical college rather than the image of a modern centre of higher education and research.

Priority 3.2: Student quarter 6.39

The influence of the university extends beyond the campus, especially into the area bounded by Storie Street, Witherspoon Street, New Street and High Street (west).

This area includes the recently completed Student Union building. However, while a number of clubs, cafes and shops appear to serve staff and student markets, the impact of the university on its immediate neighbourhood is muted. In

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 61

BEST PRACTICE MODELS

particular, Wellmeadow Street west of the campus has fallen into severe decline and physical decay.

6.41 6.40

We recommend that the partners should seek to encourage the development of a vibrant off-campus student quarter in the area surrounding the campus. In part, this can be encouraged by adopting a more permeable urban form (see priority 3.1) but also by actions including:

The Paisley campus is typical of many new universities, with its legacy of utilitarian architecture reflecting its status as a technical college serving local markets. However, other HEIs have made more progress towards creating a positive new image. For example, in Scotland: •

•

identification of buildings/sites suitable for university-related off-campus activities (for example, business space: see priority 4.1)

•

identification of town centre sites (for example, Wellmeadow Street) for student housing (priority 1.2)

•

using planning policy and engagement with the private sector to encourage the replacement of former retail premises in New Street by cafes, bars and convenience stores (priority 2.1).

Theme 4: Paisley for enterprise 6.43

the University of Abertay Dundee has transformed its city centre site into an attractive and accessible urban campus, with an impressive new library and a recently completed student services facility 6.44

62

•

6.42

Glasgow Caledonian University has upgraded a sprawling campus on the edge of the city centre into a more coherent urban form; new buildings have been incorporated into the estate and others have been upgraded; there has been a significant investment in public spaces and landscaping.

Elsewhere in the UK relevant models include the creation of a city centre campus for the University of Wolverhampton, incorporated into the civic heart. Christ Church University College Canterbury has its main site at a small edge of city campus, but it has located various publicly accessible facilities (recruitment, arts performance spaces) in the city centre.

The analysis in section 3 shows how the office market in Paisley has tended to gravitate towards: •

sites in the Glasgow Airport Zone (for larger office developments)

•

St James Street and sites north of the railway

•

Abbey Mill and other edge of town locations (for start-ups and small businesses).

Our assumption is that the Cart Corridor between the town centre and the airport will continue to be the preferred location for larger new-build commercial development, and that this area will become a regionally significant business district within the metropolitan area.

6.45

However, office and studio space should certainly be part of the mix in a revived town centre, and we recommend that the study area should be positioned as the preferred location for the next generation of start-ups and small businesses.

Three market segments can be identified, some of which may be co-located in shared premises: •

office space for start-up and micro-businesses in the service sector

july 2006 | yellow book

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION •

•

6.46

6.47

affordable workshop and studio space for the creative and cultural industries (see theme 5 below) serviced accommodation (including incubator space) for university spin-outs.

Development opportunities may be identified throughout the town centre, but our action plan recommends that priority should be given to creating a dedicated new business centre in the heart of the town, and to securing office space as part of the proposed mixed use development in the Eastern Arc. Proposals for studio/workshop space are dealt with separately (theme 5).

north of Gauze Street to create a mixed-use development and a site for a new multi-storey car park. The development – which forms part of the proposed eastern arc (see Section 6) will have a substantial residential element, including student housing, and we envisage active retail/leisure uses on the Gauze Street frontage, including a new food store.

Priority 4.1: Serviced business centre 6.48

6.49

An increase in town centre employment combined with the planned expansion of the university may create the opportunity to attract a medium-sized business hotel to the town centre. A revived town centre would also make this is an attractive option for airport user.

We recommend the formation of a joint venture partnership to create a dedicated serviced business centre in the heart of the town, ideally close to the University at a site such as Witherspoon Street. The aim here should be to create a high quality environment targeted at small knowledge-based businesses (for example, professional practices, financial business services and university spin-outs).

We envisage a partnership led by a private sector developer with experience of providing serviced office centres, supported by the public sector partners and the University.

The aim should be to achieve high levels of occupancy at full commercial rentals; pump-priming funding may be required to achieve this, with the public sector partners clawing back their contribution once the centre is fully operational.

Timing will be key: in the short-term there is a risk of oversupply which will distort the developing office market.

Priority 4.2: Mixed use development 6.50

6.51

However, we also recommend that the development should include office accommodation, either in the form of office suites on upper floors or a dedicated office building for a single or multiple occupiers.

BEST PRACTICE MODELS

6.52

The drift of office development out of traditional town centres is a recurring theme of strategies for urban regeneration in UK cities. Of particular interest are plans to create modern office space in towns – like Paisley – located close to major regional centres.

6.53

The “mixed economy” model advanced for the Yorkshire urban renaissance towns is of particular relevance, and we have reviewed proposals to increase the stock of modern office space in, among others, Doncaster, Halifax and Doncaster.

We have identified a medium term opportunity for the comprehensive redevelopment of the largely derelict area paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 63

Theme 5: Culture and creativity 6.54

6.55

The study has revealed considerable enthusiasm for culture and the creative industries as key themes of the town centre strategy. As we have seen, Paisley has some strengths and assets in this field, but our candid assessment is that the town does not have any significant competitive advantage as a centre for the creative and cultural industries. In particular, the town does not have a degree-awarding art school – although Reid Kerr College has a good reputation for its arts and media courses. The university’s arts and media courses are delivered at the Ayr campus.

64

A detailed appraisal of existing cultural venues (including the Museum and Art gallery, Paisley Arts Centre, the Student Union, the Town Hall and the Wynd Centre) is beyond the scope of the present study, but we envisage that the town centre team (see Section 7) will commission a review, and develop a capital programme.

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

6.60

Another theme should be public art. Paisley has some outstanding public sculpture and Sandy Stoddart – who is one of the UK’s finest living exponents in the classical tradition – has his studio in the town. We recommend that high quality public art commissions should be a key feature of planned developments, including the regeneration of the Eastern Arc.

Priority 5.2: Creative production

6.61

Paisley already has a number of working artists and arts organisations. Redundant churches, industrial buildings and other sites offer opportunities for conversion to low cost studio and rehearsal space. Such developments can add to the vitality of declining areas, and create an environment of greater comfort and safety. However, they will inevitably require funding, both for capital works and, in all probability, ongoing revenue support.

6.62

We recommend that the partners should explore the

Priority 5.1: Cultural experience

6.57

This priority calls for the development of a coordinated year-round programme of high quality cultural events and activities. The programme should aim to improve the programming and utilisation of venues including Paisley Arts Centre, the Wynd Centre, the Student Union, and the Town Hall. It should also aim to raise the profile and quality of the Museum & Art Gallery’s exhibition programme. There may be opportunities to establish regular arts festivals and other events (for example) art fairs forming part of an enhanced events programme (see priority 2.2).

Paisley’s situation is analogous to Birkenhead, where Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) initiatives in the 1990s aimed to (i) enhance the town’s cultural facilities by upgrading the Wirral Museum and creating a new performing arts venue, and (Ii) attract creative businesses to low cost town centre accommodation. This initiative has enjoyed mixed success, but the signs are that – after a decade of effort and targeted support – Birkenhead has begun to establish a distinctive role in the cultural life of the city region.

In the following paragraphs we have mapped out the two key themes of a strategy for creativity and culture in Paisley, but a successful programme will require dedicated resources and proactive facilitation, starting with a robust appraisal

6.59

6.58 6.56

of the asset base and the regional context. Assuming this exercise confirms the potential for development in this area, and if there is an appetite among the partners for a longterm initiative, we believe the focus should be on: improving and enriching Paisley’s cultural offer, and nurturing a community of practising artists and creative businesses.

An innovative programme may also involve the creative use of “found spaces” such as the former Littlewood’s store for special performances, perhaps celebrating aspects of the culture and history of Paisley.

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possibility of creating a dedicated, serviced centre for creative/cultural production and/or artists’ workspace on the WASPS model. Consideration should also be given to using vacant shops as temporary studio/gallery space.

6.64

BEST PRACTICE MODELS 6.63

The creative and cultural industries have been a recurring theme of urban regeneration projects throughout the UK. We have reviewed a number of relevant initiatives including: •

SRB-funded projects and services in Birkenhead (see above) and current plans for the creation of a cultural quarter in Sunniside, Sunderland

•

one of the most successful initiatives in this field has been the Metropole, which offers a combination of exhibition and production space and is the focal point for an emerging cultural quarter in Folkestone

•

other recent workspace projects (both focused on the creative industries/digital media) include Seabraes Yard, Dundee; the Workstation, Sheffield and the LCB Depot, Leicester

•

Stroud in Gloucestershire had a highly successful initiative to make vacant shops available to local artists.

Theme 6: Government and administration

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

The Council’s recent investment in its headquarters buildings is an important (practical and symbolic) gesture.

Future decisions about the location of Council offices and services, including recreation facilities, should reflect the town centre’s role as the civic heart of Renfrewshire.

But Paisley is also an attractive and convenient location for government and other public sector agencies such as Communities Scotland, and we believe that it has a key role to play as a key administrative centre in the Glasgow metropolitan region.

Priority 6.1: Public sector relocations

6.65

While we anticipate that large commercial office developments will naturally gravitate towards sites north of the town centre and in the Cart Corridor, Paisley has the capacity to accommodate civic and administrative functions in a quality environment in the heart of the town. Paisley’s excellent public transport links and easy road access to Glasgow and Edinburgh will be particular advantages.

6.66

Attracting relocations of this type will bring well-paid management and administrative jobs to Paisley and generate local expenditure which will create opportunities for shops, cafes and other service sector businesses.

6.67

We recommend that the partners should give priority to attracting relocated civil service jobs and/or public agencies to Paisley, through a targeted campaign of lobbying, marketing and promotion. Ryden advise that departments and agencies considering relocation will require advance office accommodation or, as a minimum, a dedicated serviced site.

6.68

As a first step the partners should identify possible town centre sites and development partners. We envisage that the Eastern Arc will be Paisley’s prestige location for civic and administrative functions. Consideration should be given to including high quality business space in the proposed mixed use development north of Gauze Street.

Our illustrative proposals for the eastern arc also include a new town centre gateway building next to the river in Bridge Street: this would be an ideal location for a high profile new occupier.

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 65

BEST PRACTICE MODELS 6.69

A number of Council areas in Scotland have benefited from the Executive’s policy of jobs dispersal. Dundee has had particular success, and North Ayrshire Council has attracted a number of small projects to Kilwinning and other locations.

Theme 7: Accessible and connected

6.70

6.71

•

6.72

This report has shown that Paisley is generally well connected: it is close to the M8 and served by an extensive network of local and regional roads; it enjoys and extensive array of public transport services; and the heart of the town includes a high quality pedestrianised area.

However, these advantages are compromised to a degree by the variable quality of transport infrastructure. In particular: •

•

66

attractive services and infrastructure facilities to encourage people to leave their cars at home

motorists need to be encouraged to enter the town centre rather than being diverted around it, and they also need convenient, pleasant and competitivelypriced parking public transport users need a higher quality travel experience with greater reliability and more

6.74

Parking provision is a mixture of the planned and the ad hoc which does nothing for the town centre experience.

The Central Road car park, though conveniently located, is a grim, dark and dispiriting place which presents a wholly negative image of Paisley. The Storie Street car park is much better quality, but it is in a no-man’s-land poorly connected to the shops and other facilities.

6.75

We propose the following package of measures:

pedestrians and cyclists need to be provided with safer and more comfortable routes into and across the town, as well as better amenities in the central area.

The following proposals are designed to improve the accessibility and connectedness of Paisley town centre for each of these groups, and to create a more comfortable, welcoming, safe and secure experience for all visitors to the town. The proposals are summarised in Figure 6.4.

•

through improved signage, public realm investment and new developments, enhance the sense of arrival and welcome, and create attractive gateways to the town centre

•

detailed appraisal of the case for relaxation of restrictions on private cars in Smithhills Street/ Gauze Street and St Mirren Brae, to increase traffic penetration of the core town centre area, and speed entry and exit

•

downgrading of Cotton Street/Bridge Street for vehicular traffic as part of the Eastern Arc regeneration of the Abbey precincts; this could involve reductions in road width, creating a shareduse surface or forming flush kerbed areas or tables (as in the Royal Mile, Edinburgh)

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION Priority 7.1: Road access and parking 6.73

The roads network is designed to help drivers to avoid Paisley town centre; we need to encourage motorists to enter, to make it easier to find convenient places to park, and to exit quickly on departure. We do not believe that the pedestrianisation of the core area is the cause of decline, but the traffic management regime around Gauze Street/ Smithhills Street may be too restrictive.

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Fig 6.4 traffic and access parking advanced information sign

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 67

•

•

explore the potential for providing a high quality multi-storey car park in the heart of the town as part of the proposed mixed use development of the Arnotts site; the new car park would replace the ugly and unwelcoming structure at Central Road

6.78

rationalisation of short-term surface car parks: this will create development sites in the medium/ longer term, and opportunities for pocket parks/ environmental schemes.

Priority 7.2: Public transport hub 6.76

6.77

68

Paisley is an important public transport interchange, with a busy railway station served by regular trains to Glasgow, the Clyde coast and Prestwick airport. It is the focal point for an extensive array of sub-regional and local bus services, including connections to Braehead.

The creation of the Glasgow airport rail link will raise Gilmour Street’s passenger throughput and its status as an interchange station. Even though a high proportion of airport users will pass through Paisley on their way to or from the airport, a significant minority will change at Gilmour Street. Either way, the station will become a prominent gateway for UK and international visitors, and it

incentive for prospective business occupiers and visitors, and upgrading of Gilmour Street could encourage more commuters to travel by train. However, unless the local bus operators raise their game, it is hard to envisage existing car users switching to the bus.

is important that it projects a positive image of Scotland and Paisley. At present, the station is bleak and unwelcoming, with only the most rudimentary facilities for passengers.

6.79

6.80

Paisley’s bus services are of mixed quality. The town centre is served by a comprehensive range of services to and from Glasgow and Braehead, neighbouring towns and Paisley’s suburbs. These services are provided by Arriva (the principal operator) and a number of local independent operators. The quality of services provided by the latter varies, and the scruffy appearance of some of the vehicles is not encouraging. There is also a lack of timetable and fares information. Bus stances around the Cross – at Gauze Street and Causeyside Street – are excellent, but the facilities at Central Road are very poor.

The net effect is that, although Paisley is generally well provided for in terms of public transport, the service offering is of variable quality and not particularly well integrated. Although there is no single interchange facility, the proximity of railway station, bus stances and taxi rank would be acceptable if they were clearly signposted, if services were properly coordinated and if service timetables were supplied and adhered to. That is not the case at present.

The range of public transport services should be a positive

6.81

Our key recommendation is a programme of investment to create an integrated public transport hub in the heart of the town, as part of the regeneration of the Eastern Arc. There are three key elements of this proposal: •

first, upgrading of Gilmour Street station to an attractive, modern station catering for commuters, visitors and interchange passengers, which will provide a fitting gateway for visitors to Scotland and reflect a positive image of Paisley

•

second (and linked to the proposals to demolish and relocate the existing multi-storey car park) the bus stances in Central Road should be replaced with modern structures of the type already provided at the Cross

•

finally, a series of measures to promote integration and enhance service quality should be introduced, for example:

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-

a small travel information centre in County Square

-

information boards to help public transport users to locate their bus stop

-

any street furniture required must be of high quality, and should be designed to fit with the design and materials used for the town centre pedestrianisation works

-

negotiation of quality bus contracts to secure improved quality, comfort and cleanliness of vehicles; coordination of service timetables to principal destinations; provision of comprehensive timetable information for all services, and electronic service information for principal services.

Priority 7.3: Waking and cycling 6.82

New residential, office and leisure developments on the town centre fringes have created opportunities for linked trips and walk-in visits, but pedestrian routes into town are hostile: car-dominated, environmentally poor and with a reputation for crime. Litter, vandalism and antisocial behaviour all contribute to a lack of comfort and a perception of risk.

6.83 The pedestrianised streets at the heart of town contribute to a greatly improved public realm, and this area is often busy with shoppers, students and office workers. However, even in this area, vacant shops and litter have a negative impact on the environment, and there is a lack of sociability and outdoor life, especially out of hours.

BEST PRACTICE MODELS

6.84 Cyclists are not well catered for. There no dedicated routes through the town, and no facilities for safe storage.

6.86 Numerous recent schemes have aimed to improve the quality and efficiency of access to town centres. The principles of removing clutter and reducing the amount of visual input confronting drivers are well established, and the prescription is likely to include the familiar brown signs to advertise attractions, Welcome to Paisley signs, and variable message signs (VMS) to guide motorists to available car parks.

6.85 We propose the following package of measures:

6.87 Modern multi-storey car parks are spacious, well-lit

•

an energetic and proactive approach to management, maintenance, cleaning, safety and security (see Annex 7: early action plan)

•

encourage street life and sociability through a programme of events (priority 2.2) and outdoor eating and drinking

•

identify, upgrade, promote, manage and police key pedestrian routes to town, addressing signposting and navigation issues

•

add pedestrian/cycle crossings on major roads and increase crossing times; decommission underpasses

•

create N-S/E-W cross-town cycle routes linked to the regional networks with secure cycle storage at stations.

and accessible, and there is an increased emphasis on integrating the buildings into the townscape. Recent successful examples include the Glasshouse car park in Glasgow’s Merchant City.

6.88 The quality of new railway stations in the UK has generally been very disappointing, with the notable exception of the London Underground Jubilee Line. Gilmour Street station is a building of some historic and townscape value, and the emphasis should therefore be on creative adaptation, possibly inspired by best practice models from Norway and Switzerland.

6.89 We are proposing the development of an integrated transport hub rather than a major interchange. The major piece of new build development would be sheltered outdoor bus waiting areas at Central Road. Arup’s Vauxhall Cross bus

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 69

station in London is a possible model, as is Hyde in Greater Manchester and Hoofddorp in the Netherlands.

6.90 Facilitating increased pedestrian and cycle movements require provision of quality infrastructure for these modes.

Bristol is an excellent example of well signed routes, especially for pedestrians. Darlington, Worcester and Peterborough are all sustainable travel demonstration towns that are promoting packages of schemes and marketing measures to encourage walking and cycling.

Theme 8: Quality and style 6.91 In the late 1990s Paisley made a major investment in the public realm. An extensive area around the Cross and the Abbey was pedestrianised and upgraded. Key elements of the scheme included: •

70

pedestrianisation of High Street (east), Moss Street and Gilmour Street

•

creation of public spaces at County Square and the Cross

•

upgrading of the riverside

•

exclusion of private cars from the north end of Causeyside Street and the west end of Gauze Street, and installation of high quality bus stances

•

creation of a high quality pedestrian environment at Abbey Close.

6.92 By common consent, this was one of the most ambitious and high quality schemes of its type in any Scottish town, but it has not halted the decline in Paisley’s fortunes.

6.93 In our view, this is not surprising: the social and economic forces arrayed against Paisley (and other similar towns) in the past 20-30 years have been formidable, and the competitive pressures have intensified in the past decade.

Public realm improvements, however elegant, cannot be expected to turn the tide on their own. More work is required to enhance the quality, diversity and attractiveness of the town centre experience.

6.94 Some people have suggested that the crisis in Paisley town centre is the result of pedestrianisation, but we do not believe that this is the case. We have recommended minor changes to the traffic management regime (see Theme 7) but our view is that Paisley’s upgraded public realm is a valuable asset which will support and facilitate aspects of this strategy for transformational change.

6.95 This theme introduces an urban realm strategy designed to underpin the rest of the action plan and maximise its impact.

Implementing this strategy will help to achieve an urban environment of quality and style, which will: •

attract more people to the town centre to live, work and visit, and encourage repeat visits

•

make it easier for residents and visitors to enter and leave the town and – for car users – find a place to park

•

make the experience of arrival more pleasant and welcoming

•

increase levels of footfall, trade, social and cultural activity throughout the day, the week and the year

•

create a lively town centre with a more diverse base of residents, employers, workers and visitors

•

reduce crime and improving the sense of comfort and personal security.

6.96 Our proposals for improving the accessibility of the town centre to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists are described under Theme 7, but we also propose action to: •

enhance the integrity, permeability and legibility of the urban form

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•

enhance the public realm by creating a sequence of gateways, green spaces and open space

•

establish guidelines for development in the eastern arc.

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

Priority 8.1: Urban form

6.97 Paisley has a distinctive and high quality townscape, but the impact of major roads and the presence of some areas of dereliction (for example, north of Gauze Street and at Wellmeadow Street) means that the urban form has broken down in places, especially on the town centre edges. This is a particular issue on the east side, where Mill Street and a group of 1970s civic buildings set among under-used lawns create a fragmented and car-dominated zone.

6.98 Paisley’s urban form is generally permeable and adaptable, but it has become fragmented and dislocated in some places. For example: •

•

links between the Oakshaw conservation area and the rest of the town are confusing and – in some cases – unwelcoming the university campus (see priority 3.1) has the character of an enclosed compound, exacerbated by

the sweep of under-used land south of Witherspoon Street 6.99 We propose the development of an urban design strategy to restore the integrity of the urban form and to improve permeability and legibility.

6.100 Key features of our proposals include: •

improvements to key pedestrian/cycling routes into the town centre to encourage walk-in visits and to strengthen connections with the Anchor Mill/Abbey Mill complex

•

creation of a riverside street with active street frontages on the south bank of the White Cart, between Mill Street and Forbes Place

•

streetscape schemes, incorporating public art as appropriate, to signal the key gateways to the town and create a sense of arrival.

•

we have proposed the development of an urban design strategy for the University of Paisley campus: this should enhance the coherence and legibility of the site itself, but also strengthen linkages with the surrounding area, including possible future developments on the south side of Witherspoon Street

•

a programme to improve pedestrian links between Oakshaw and High Street/Wellmeadow Street through infill development of gap sites, signposting and lighting

•

creating safe and attractive pedestrian links between the Gilmour Street interchange and the proposed mixed use development in the town centre east.

Priority 8.2: Public space 6.101 The urban design strategy should define a hierarchy of public spaces and green space in the town centre. At present, the two principal public spaces in the town are County Square and the area around the abbey church.

These will continue to play a key role, and we would expect the events strategy (priority 2.2) to help to maximise and intensify their use.

6.102 We have suggested that some further investment may be required for County Square, linked to the transport hub proposals and this may include an opportunity to create a temporary tented roof to provide all-weather protection.

6.103 Our Eastern Arc proposals are designed to animate the area around the abbey and to create a more intimate and enclosed urban space – a modern abbey close. These proposals should not compromise or encroach significantly

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Fig 6.5 urban form - public space

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on the values green space around the abbey, which is a valuable resource and the natural focus for larger scale, family-orientated events.

6.104 Other key elements of the public space strategy might include: •

•

•

creation of a distinctive civic space at the entrance to the university, capitalising on the outstanding group of civic and ecclesiastical buildings in this location; this would be a shared space, with a road running through it, but with traffic calming measures turning the White Cart into a valued townscape asset: crucially this will involve an active management regime to keep the river clean and attractive, but we have also recommended built development, linking Bridge Street to Forbes Place to create an active riverside street, and strengthen links with Anchor Mill we have recommended the reclamation of some of the small surface car parks in the town as part of a programme to rationalise and improve the quality of parking: we do not envisage significant development demand for these sites in the short-nedium term, but there may be an opportunity to convert some sites into small urban parks or green spaces.

Priority 8.3: Eastern Arc

•

6.105 We have highlighted the town centre east as an area of opportunity. In contrast to much of the study area, this site has the capacity to accommodate significant mixed use development. We have developed the concept of the Eastern Arc, a regeneration zone extending from Gilmour Street station, through Central Road and the Arnott’s site, to Cotton Street and Bridge Street.

6.106 Figure 6-5 shows an illustrative proposition for the eastern arc which aims to establish guiding principles for development of this area. Key features include: •

the proposed public transport hub around Gilmour Street/the Cross, including comprehensive regeneration of Central Road

•

proposals for mixed use development north of Gauze Street comprising residential, student housing, offices and a multi-storey car park

•

guidance on the form and scale of development in the immediate vicinity of the abbey, including proposed residential development on the site of the Council’s north building

•

down-scaling Cotton Street/Bridge Street to make them more pedestrian friendly

development around Bridge Street and the riverside including prestige offices and riverside links to existing development in south-east of the town such as Anchor Mill and Abbey Mill.

6.107 We propose that these illustrative proposals should be worked up into a development brief for the Eastern Arc, designed to deliver transformational change in this key location over the next 5 years.

BEST PRACTICE MODELS

6.108 Our selected case study towns (Doncaster, Halifax, Scunthorpe and Taunton) have all identified mixed use developments as the preferred model for regenerating underperforming town centre areas. For example: •

Doncaster’s Great Street project is designed to restore urban form to a section of inner ring road that divides the town from surrounding neighbourhoods

•

Scunthorpe has identified four key development nodes for mixed use developments on the fringes of the town centre, and Church Square has been targeted as a cultural quarter

•

Taunton is making the rediscovery of neglected riverside sites a top priority, and the strategy aims to reconnect previously isolated quarters.

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Fig 6.6 eastern arc

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ACTIVITIES AND INTERVENTIONS

Figure 6.7: Paisley town centre developments Priority

6.109 The action plan needs to be worked up into a detailed business plan and budget for the next five years. However, the first-cut programme outlined above describes a mix of activities and interventions that can be summarised as follows: •

engaging with the private sector and public sector partners to deliver development

•

pro-active town centre management and promotion

•

developing a robust urban design framework and enhancing the public realm

•

improving transport infrastructure

6.110 Some aspects of the programme will require further development over the next 6-12 months, including the urban design strategy and the Eastern Arc development brief (theme 8) and investigation of a possible capital programme to enhance Paisley’s cultural assets and venues (theme 5).

Figure 6-4: Nominal development mix, Paisley town centre 2006-2016 Site

Description

Sq metres Gross space

1.1

Residential development on site of North Building (1.25 ha site)

1.2

Student housing (various sites considered)

North Building

25,000

4.1

Serviced business centre at Witherspoon Street (0.5 ha)

Witherspoon St

5,000

4.2

Mixed use development north of Gauze Street (2.0 ha site)

5.2

Creative industries production space (re-use of redundant building to be identified)

6.1

Riverside development at Bridge Street (0,5 ha site)

6.112 In total these key locations have a site area of about 4.5 hectares. We cannot yet determine the development mix or potential to retain/re-use buildings, but we have assumed an average plot ratio of 70%, giving a development footprint of about 30,000 sq metres which will produce about 90,000 square metres of floorspace (gross) over 10-15 years. The gross cost of development of this scale is likely to be in the order of £50 million.

Residential 20,000

Retail/ leisure

Office/ studio

2,000

Parking 3,000

5,000

Gauze St

50,000

20,000

15,000

5,000

8,000

Bridge St

10,000

2,000

4,000

2,000

1,000

Creative industry* TOTAL

2,000 92,000

2,000 42,000

21,000

14,000

12,000

* Site to be identified 6.114 The nominal retail, leisure and office space would create in the order of 1,500 gross jobs, roughly a 15% increase on the present level of town centre employment; income and supplier multipliers may increase this to 2,000.

6.115 Section 7 provides a commentary on the viability and deliverability of this programme.

6.113 For the purposes of this report we have produced a nominal schedule of the mix and scale of development at the key sites identified above.

6.111 At this stage, some of our proposals are inevitably provisional, but we have identified a series of key development outputs, summarised in Figure 6-6.

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7 development and delivery 7.1

7.2

We have mapped out an action plan for the next five years, although the developments described here will be delivered through to 2016 and beyond. The analysis contained in Section 3 has highlighted market failures in some sectors in the town centre and the implementation of this plan must therefore take account of the market realities and guard against optimism bias.

We have asked Ryden to appraise the action plan from a market perspective, and to comment on its deliverability.

Their key conclusions are summarised below.

RESIDENTIAL

7.3

7.4

Theme 1 describes residential-led regeneration, focusing on the North Building site. Private sector investment will supply housing (although some public sector intervention might be required to deliver social or upper floor housing) and it may be sufficiently profitable to generate an element of crosssubsidy for mixed-use development and infrastructure.

Nevertheless, the strategy must be sufficient robust and diverse to withstand any downturn in the private housing market or indeed changes in the funding of social and affordable housing. There are risks in treating residential development as a cash-cow.

7.5

SHOPPING AND LEISURE

into the private sector housing market.

Shopping and leisure present a serious challenge for Paisley town centre. The town is being re-positioned by the marketplace as a district centre serving local residents and workers. Market adjustment will continue throughout the next decade, and rent and lease expectations will need to adjust, especially on the High Street. The Paisley Centre may experience some diversification. Value retailing should be accepted as a useful market niche for Paisley, rather than a second-best option.

OFFICE SPACE 7.7

Theme 4 seeks to continue Paisley’s recent successes in attracting and growing small businesses. Public subsidy or development cross-funding (as at Anchor Mill) is likely to be required to support this form of development in Paisley. A measured, demand-led approach will be required to avoid over-supplying this market.

7.8

We anticipate that office space will form part of the development mix at Gauze Street, and that this will be achieved primarily by cross-subsidy. Public intervention will be required in order to pump-prime development of a public sector office building as part of the proposed Bridge St/riverside scheme. The demand side of this market is a changing landscape: Audit Scotland is reviewing the current policy on decentralisation. Paisley will face strong out of town competition, but the town centre offers excellent transport connectivity and amenities to compete in the next market cycle.

Development will be market-led and the role for the regeneration strategy is to create the demand conditions which will maintain an attractive and competitive retail/ leisure offer by increasing footfall by students, workers and residents, and creating an attractive town centre environment which will encourage people to visit more often and to stay longer.

UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

7.6

The university will continue to invest and upgrade within the existing campus boundaries in the medium-term. The most significant new investment is likely to come from provision of purpose-built student housing, and from the recycling of tenement buildings currently used as student housing back

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES 7.9

Theme 5 proposes space for the creative industries in Paisley. Such initiatives typically require an obsolete

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building to become available at negligible capital cost, and public sector support for the costs of conversion.

Occupiers are typically seeking flexible, low cost studio space, and there are a number of examples of projects where a sustainable model has been achieved (subject to up-front funding). However, the realities of low and often uncertain rental income mean that creative industries hubs often require ongoing revenue support, especially if tenants include non-commercial artists and performance groups.

Scottish Executive’s Regeneration Statement, People and Place (February 2006) that: “much of the purpose of private sector activity should be to act as a catalyst for, or lay the foundation for, private sector activity”.

7.12

SUMMING UP 7.10

7.11

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The action plan is predicated on the need to diversify and intensify activity in the town centre, but we recognise that market conditions are challenging and likely to remain so for some years to come. Residential development will be the commercial driver for much of the development programme outlined here, but it will be important not to over-burden developers with unrealistic expectations about crosssubsidy of other uses.

Our default position is that the development and regeneration in Paisley town centre should be private sector-led wherever possible. The resources of the public sector are finite and the Council, Scottish Enterprise and Communities Scotland all have competing priorities and tough decisions to make. We endorse the view set out in the

7.13

7.14

We believe that the role of the public sector partners as champions of the new vision for Paisley is particularly important. The evidence from the case studies (and our experience elsewhere) is that sending a clear signal about the partners’ aspirations for the town can help to get Paisley “on the radar” for developers and investors. People and Place argues that “much more needs to be done to ensure that the private sector players…view Scotland as ‘open for business’ on regeneration; and that they are fully aware of the opportunities available”.

Nevertheless, Ryden’s appraisal makes it clear that public sector intervention will be required to address market failure, and to stimulate private sector activity. There needs to be what the Scottish Executive describes as “a ‘mixed economy’ of investment which delivers sustainable regeneration and value for money”.

With the caveat that all the figures quoted here should be treated as indicative and provisional, we are working on the assumption that private sector-led residential, retail and leisure development is viable, and that the onus is

on the public sector partners to encourage and facilitate appropriate development. However, office development and space for the creative industries will require subsidy, and public sector funding will also be required for future investment in the University of Paisley campus, although the precise nature of the university’s requirements is not yet clear.

7.15

Other aspects of the action plan will also generate funding requirements. Aspects of the accessible and connected agenda (for example, car parking and pedestrian routes) may be part-funded by Section 75 agreements.

Improvements to Gilmour Street station may form a part of planned investment in the airport link, but there will be significant additional costs associated with the creation of the transport hub, revised traffic management arrangements and the pedestrian/cycle network.

7.16

The quality and style theme also envisages additional investment in the public realm, for example at County Square and the University Gateway. Again, some of this may attract developer contributions, but it would be prudent to plan for a significant public sector contribution.

7.17

Something in the order of a third of the property development programme (representing development costs in the order of £15 million) will require an element

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of subsidy. At this stage any estimate of the public sector contribution will be highly speculative, but we recommend that the partners should assume a funding requirement of £5-6 million over the next 5 years.

7.18

7.19

7.20

Consultants fees for these and other tasks may amount to

•

action to combat crime and anti-social behaviour, including more regular and visible policing

•

introduction of a year-round programme of events, festivals and cultural activities

•

a positive marketing and PR campaign

•

planned promotional activity linked to the events programme.

around £400-500,000 in the next 2-3 years.

7.21

Similarly, we are not in a position to cost the infrastructure and public realm requirements, but these are likely to be in the order of £3-4 million in the same period, including the design and installation of the winter lights.

Subject to the development of a full business plan, our estimate at this stage is therefore that the public sector partners should plan on the basis of an £9-10 million capital programme over the next five years. This excludes any planned new buildings on the university campus, but does make provision for a contribution to improvements to the public realm.

Aspects of the programme require further detailed appraisal and development. Key tasks include:

7.24 REVENUE PROGRAMMES

•

preparation of a costed business plan

•

development of a marketing strategy

•

development brief for the Eastern Arc

•

development of an urban design strategy

•

development appraisals for key sites

•

development of plans under the culture and creativity theme

•

appraisal of proposed changes to the traffic management regime.

7.22

7.23

In addition, we envisage the creation of an enhanced town centre team. We discuss the role and function of the team below, but its responsibilities will include the management and delivery of an energetic town centre management programme, events, marketing and promotions. The team will use additional resources to build on its joint campaigns with retailers.

The key elements of the town centre team’s programme will include: •

introduction of a zero tolerance regime to combat the problems of litter, graffiti and vandalism in the town centre

While we envisage that this will require some additional expenditure, we also assume that the Council, the police and other partners will prioritise cleansing, foot patrols and other services in the town centre. Subject to the development of an operating plan and budget we are working on the assumption that the team will control an annual revenue budget in the order of £250,000, excluding staff costs.

OPTIONS FOR DELIVERY

7.25

Implementation of the action plan will require a mechanism (or mechanisms) to: •

secure the delivery of development proposals and other capital projects, and

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 79

•

7.26

7.27

sector agencies and partnerships. Delivery will also take place over an extended period, reflecting market uncertainty and the – unpredictable – rate of market adjustment.

deliver town centre management, promotion and other services.

The opportunities for comprehensive development in Paisley are limited. The potential development sites identified in our report add up to less than 5 hectares within a total central area footprint of around 75 hectares16. Most of this land – about 3.75 hectares – lies in the area we have designated the Eastern Arc, but even here we are talking about an archipelago of sites in a variety of ownerships.

For the most part the town centre will adapt and evolve through a period of market adjustment, with support and assistance from the private sector where necessary and appropriate. There is no systemic market failure in Paisley town centre, nor are there any “no go” locations for the market. However, there are areas of market uncertainty – such as prime retail – and others requiring subsidy funding – such as new-build and managed business space.

7.29

7.30

7.31 7.28

The projects proposed in the action plan therefore form a package of town centre development opportunities, rather than a single development programme. Delivery will be on a project-by-project basis through the appropriate owners and agencies, under the umbrella of the existing public 16 Approximate land area within ring-road

80

In these circumstances, implementation of the plan will require ad hoc arrangements and bespoke delivery solutions, and the public sector partners will need to be flexible and adaptable in their approach. This is not a situation in which there is likely to be much advantage in creating an urban development company or similar special purpose vehicle best suited to large scale redevelopment of brownfield sites.

However, a coherent and cohesive approach is essential.

Implementing the action plan is an exercise in place making and regeneration, requiring a clear vision and strategic direction, an intimate knowledge of the study area and the principal actors, and the ability to mobilise resources in support of the programme.

In our view, the Paisley Vision Board is well placed to fulfil that role, in terms of the partners’ knowledge and understanding of the issues and their shared commitment to reviving the fortunes of the town centre. However, the expertise and goodwill of the Board needs to be underpinned by a strong executive team accountable to the Board for implementing the action plan. We envisage a team

of up to three full-time staff, led by a senior and experienced manager which will be responsible for: •

developing a 5-year business plan and budget

•

championing the new vision for Paisley, including a marketing and PR programme

•

working with owners and developers to deliver the development programme, and mobilising public sector resources

•

working in partnership with public sector bodies and the private sector to deliver infrastructure, public realm and other projects

•

establishing a performance management framework

•

reporting and accountability.

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1

annex 1 policy review 1.

PAISLEY VISION BOARD

1.1

The Paisley Vision Board (PVB) was set up in January 2000 with the aim of providing a forum and focus for private and public sector stakeholders who had an interest in the regeneration of Paisley Town Centre. The PVB aims to reestablish the town centre as a “centre of excellence” by:  encouraging investment in retail, office, commercial, leisure and housing

2.2

2.3

 increasing footfall in the town centre  developing Paisley as a university town  capitalising on key buildings and spaces  marketing and promoting the town centre  research and evaluation.

2.

NATIONAL POLICY

2.1

A Consultation Draft of Scottish Planning Policy: Town Centres (SPP8) was published in August 2005. SPP8 sets out Scottish Executive policy on the development of town centres and has to be taken into account in the preparation of Structure and Local Plans and the determination of planning applications.

2.4

The SPP8 applies to all retail, leisure, entertainment and recreation uses. It also applies to other uses that contribute to the vitality and viability of a particular centre (such as community facilities, civic space, culture and tourism and business uses). The focus is on establishing a mix of uses and activities in town centres, and housing should form an important element of the mix.

the most appropriate location for retailing and other related activities in order to sustain and enhance their vitality and viability  enable all sectors of the community to have access to a range of shopping, leisure and other services; this means supporting an efficient, competitive and innovative retail and leisure sector which allows genuine consumer choice to meet the needs of the entire community

Town centres provide a diverse range of commercial and community activities, including places of employment, open spaces and meeting places; a mix of interdependent land uses which, taken together, create a sense of place and identity. The physical structure, the range and mix of uses make a ‘town centre’ different from a ‘shopping centre’ and provide much of its character and identity.

Consequently, the key thrust of national policy is to ensure that vibrant, thriving town centres are protected as the focus for communities and that development and regeneration is directed primarily towards town centres to protect and enhance their vitality and viability.

The Executive’s key policy objectives for town centres are therefore to:  promote competitive places and encourage regeneration, in order to create town centres that are attractive to investors and suited to the generation of new employment opportunities; town centres are

 improve the physical quality of town centre environments by promoting good quality design, protecting and enhancing existing quality and supporting the creation of town centres which are attractive, safe and inclusive for all  support development in existing accessible locations or in locations where accessibility can be improved, thus reducing the need to travel and provide alternatives to car use.

2.5

Planning authorities should, through development plans and other strategies, implement these key policy objectives.

They should tailor their approach to meet particular local circumstances and community needs. In order to deliver these objectives, stakeholders should focus on the following policy principles:

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 81

 identifying and promoting town centres as part of a network of centres

 pedestrian flow  prime rental values  space in use for different town centre functions and change over time  retailer representation and intentions  commercial yield  vacancy rates  physical structure of the centre (opportunities, constraints, and  accessibility)  periodic surveys of consumers

 focusing new development in existing town centres by using a sequential approach to assessment  maintaining, improving and developing town centres  promoting an attractive and safe environment  ensuring that centres are accessible to all sectors of the community by a range of modes of transport  regularly monitoring and reviewing their policies.

2.6

82

SPP8 recommends that authorities should undertake a health check to measure the strengths and weaknesses of a town centre and to analyse the factors which contribute to its vitality and viability. “Vitality” is defined as a measure of how lively and busy a town centre is and “viability” is a measure of its capacity to attract ongoing investment, for maintenance, improvement and adaptation to changing needs. Together these give an indication of the health of a town centre. A range of key performance indicators can be used to provide an effective insight into the performance of a centre and so offer a framework for assessing vitality and viability. The following 9 factors are suggested:

policies in the approved 2000 Plan to take account of significant economic growth in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the Government’s desire to achieve a more sustainable pattern of development throughout the United Kingdom and to contribute to the renaissance of Scotland.

3.2

 crime 2.7

The PVB has commissioned health checks on Paisley Town Centre, using some of these performance indicators, for both 2002 and 2003 and compared these to 1994 baseline survey data, where available. The data revealed a generally poor performance between 1994 and 2002, and a more mixed picture in 2002-03. There have been no systematic updates since 2003.

3.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY

3.1

The regional policy perspective is provided by the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Structure Plan. The most recent policy statement is that set out in the Draft Finalised Supplementary Written Statement published for consultation in October 2005. The revised Plan updates

The 2000 Plan sets out a strategic vision of Glasgow and the Clyde Valley as one of the most attractive business and residential locations in Europe because of the improved quality of the transport system, the labour force and the physical environment. Delivering this vision requires a long term metropolitan development strategy for the area based on the following key themes:  strengthening communities in the area by meeting their diverse social needs and improving health  a corridor of growth through the heart of the area stimulating economic growth with a strong and vibrant City Centre as the heart of the metropolitan conurbation  a green network creating a quality environment.

3.3

The updated policy framework is based on a faster rate of development than assumed in the 2000 Plan and is based on sustaining the rate of economic growth which has been achieved in recent years. It also reflects the development

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priorities in the Scottish Executive’s National Planning Framework (April 2004) which identifies:

3.5

 the Clyde Corridor and Lanarkshire as key economic development zones for Scotland  the Clyde Waterfront, Clyde Gateway and Ravenscraig Flagship Initiatives together with Gartcosh and Eurocentral, as regeneration and renewal priorities  improving the quality of the core of the Metropolitan Area as part of the national Strategy

3.6

 Gartcosh and Bishopton as two of the preferred locations for long term expansion within the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Area.

3.4

The review of the Plan has confirmed the importance of sustaining the network of town centres (Strategic Policy 1(a)). The policy gives explicit recognition to the economic, administrative, educational and cultural role of the main town centres. Strategic Policy 1 and Schedule 1(a) in the 2000 Plan have been modified to identify sub-regional centres serving a wider area than their local communities.

Paisley is identified as one of nine sub-regional centres whose role is to be safeguarded and enhanced. It is also one of nine town centre renewal priorities.

3.7

Strategic Policy 6(c) is modified to clarify the relationship between established town centres and new shopping/ leisure centres. Braehead and Lomond Shores are identified, and the policy states that - without prejudice to the policy of supporting town centres as the preferred location for new retail development - these centres should be taken into account in the assessment of out of town proposals and adverse impact on them avoided.

The Plan also updates the assessment of the need for additional retail floorspace in each centre based on revised estimates of retail expenditure and floorspace in the relevant catchment areas. In relation to Paisley it concludes that in the period up to 2011 there is no quantitative need for additional convenience or comparison floorspace, but that on qualititative grounds, new comparison floorspace which would improve the viability and vitality of the town centre would be supported.

Strategic Policy 5 sets out the development opportunities which promote the economic competitiveness of the area. Higher rates of economic growth are expected to be driven by the service sector, and science and technology associated with the knowledge economy. The policy to support this covers the provision of a range of strategic sites which includes strategic business centres and university campuses. In this context, Paisley is specifically recognised as a strategic business centre and the University as having

the potential to contribute to the regeneration of the Town Centre.

3.8

The principal implications of this review of strategic policy for Paisley town centre are:  a greater emphasis on the protection and development of the non-retail activities  identification of Paisley as a strategic business centre location  recognition of Braehead as part of the system of retail centres which should have some protection from adverse development

 assessment that there is some scope (on quality grounds) for additional retail floorspace through restructuring, and

 opportunities to further develop linkages with the University of Paisley.

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4.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY

use in the town centre and other locations. The continued development of the University of Paisley and Reid Kerr College is considered vital to the educational, cultural and economic wellbeing of Paisley and Renfrewshire.

The Council also recognises the important role that business development within the Cart Corridor will have in complementing Paisley town centre’s role as a strategic business centre.

Strategy 4.1

The finalised Renfrewshire Local Plan was published in October 2002. It is anticipated that the Local Plan will be formally adopted by the Council early in 2006.

4.2

The main aims of the Local Plan can be summarised in five strategic policies:

4.4

 Strategic Policy 1: social inclusion  Strategic Policy 2: promotion of sustainable development and strengthening the settlement pattern

 Renfrew North  Bishopton

 Strategic Policy 3: promotion of economic competitiveness

 Saucel Street.

Town Centres and Retailing 4.5

84

 Policy R4 – preference will be given to expansion areas which are immediately adjacent to town centres  Policy R5 – within the Paisley Town Centre core area the following policies apply: -

within the Paisley Centre, no more than 20,000ft2 or 10% of the gross floor area shall be used for non-retail or food retail purposes

-

within the Piazza, no more than 10% of the gross floor area shall be used for Class 2 or Class 3 developments

-

in High Street/Moss Street, ground floor frontages will be restricted primarily to Classes 1 and 3 with no more than 20% of the frontage length available for other uses

 Anchor Mills.

 Strategic Policy 5: integration of planning and transport.

Strategic Policy 2 includes safeguarding and promoting the vitality and viability of town and village centres. Strategic Policy 3 covers the promotion of appropriate business

 Policy R2 – retail developments over 2000m2 of comparison floorspace and 1000m2 convenience floorspace will be directed to the strategic town centres

 Cart Corridor

 Strategic Policy 4: protection and enhancement of the environment

4.3

Five specific development opportunities are identified in the Local Plan which have varying degrees of impact on the town centre. These are:

 Policy R1- town centre type uses will be directed to strategic and secondary centres

Local Plan Policies R1 – R7 and R17 - 18 relate to the development of Strategic (Paisley, Johnstone, Renfrew and Erskine) and other town centres. Specific policies include:

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 Policy R6 – change of use of properties (from former retail or commercial to residential) on the fringes of Paisley Town Centre will be supported where they bring buildings back into active use and have no adverse impact

4.9

Transport assessments of new development should take account of:  the likely effects on the transport system

Braehead.

 measures to reduce the level of car use

Education

 levels of car parking 4.7

The Local Plan also has 4 policies relating to out-of-centre and edge-of-centre retailing which potentially could have some impact on Paisley Town Centre. These are:  Policy R13 – no new retail warehousing or additional retail floorspace beyond the current consents will be supported at the existing retail warehouse parks at Blythswood, Abbotsinch, Phoenix and Braehead

 protecting land for new road improvements.

 Policy R16 – no additional retail floorspace beyond that in current consents will be supported at

 Policy R18 – all new hot food outlets, public houses and licensed clubs will be directed to town and secondary centres.

4.6

 protecting disused rail lines and freight connections which have potential for reuse  protecting walking and cycling routes

 Policy R15 – an allocation is made for the development of the Phoenix Centre, Linwood for leisure, business, hotel and car showroom uses

 Policy R7 – the distinctive townscape created by the mix of civic and cultural land uses around Paisley Abbey and Paisley Library and Museum will be safeguarded and enhanced  Policy R17 – a high standard of design will be required in all new development in town centres with particular consideration to compatibility of form, scale and materials

incorporated in new developments

 Policy R14 – no expansion of the existing retail stores at Neilston Road, and Anchor Mills, Paisley; Newmains Road, Renfrew; and the Phoenix, Linwood will be supported

The Local Plan also recognises the importance of higher and further education facilities. Policy Ed1 specifically indicates that the Council supports the continuing development of the University of Paisley and Reid Kerr College. Development proposals in these areas should not adversely affect operations or future development.

 improvements to public transport and initiatives to secure sustainable travel by employees, customers and suppliers 4.10

Transportation 4.8

 proposals to encourage access by walking and cycling

Transport policies aim to achieve integration with the local transport plan by:

The Structure Plan identifies a number of strategically important public transport schemes of which two are of particular relevance to Paisley town centre:  Public Transport Links to Glasgow Airport  Rail Link to Renfrew /Braehead.

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Environment

4.11 The Council, in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire, Strathclyde Passenger Transport and other bodies, has undertaken major works in Paisley Town Centre to improve pedestrian access and facilities for bus and rail transport. These works have brought about a significant improvement in the Town Centre environment and won a number of awards.

4.15 The Council has identified eight conservation areas, of which The Cross/Oakshaw has been designated outstanding by Historic Scotland.

4.12 The Local Transport Strategy (2000) makes provision for studies to progress a number of transport proposals, including works to address traffic problems on the north side of the town centre.

4.16 The Local Plan provides policy protection to the retail function of Paisley town centre. In practice, consents for superstores have been given to edge of centre sites at Anchor Mill and Love Street.

Economic Competitiveness 4.13 The economic competitiveness policies of the Local Plan cover a range of activities including tourism and general business needs. Tourism makes a significant contribution to the local economy with annual direct expenditure around ÂŁ65 million supporting approximately 2000 jobs. The Local Plan supports Tourist Development Areas (TDAs) including Paisley town centre.

4.14 The development of office, service, education, tourism and culture orientated facilities is supported and the Local Plan promotes the development of an area to the north of Paisley Town Centre as a strategic business centre.

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Conclusions

4.17 The Local Plan does not generally recognise that the role of town centres is changing and that a wider range of functions will be important to their vitality and viability. Policy R5 restricts the amount of non-retail uses in the core area of the town centre, although R6 recognises that on the fringe of the centre changes to non-retail uses could be acceptable. There are no specific proposals for further retail development or restructuring within the town centre.

4.18 Policy R7 also recognises the role which historic and cultural uses play in the creation of an attractive and vibrant town centre, although this is couched in townscape rather than functional terms and there do not appear to be any proposals to further develop/ enhance such activities.

4.19 The Plan identifies areas for the expansion of the University within the town centre which is seen as an important component of the town centre activity mix.

4.20 Access and parking are known to be issues of concern.

Problems with the operation of the northern section of the town centre ring road are identified but the Local Plan contains no specific proposals to address the issue.

4.21 Paisley Town Centre is safeguarded as a tourist development area, but there are no specific proposals to develop the function.

4.22 The town centre is identified as a strategic business centre where service sector business activities will be encouraged and allocates an area to the north of the town centre for this purpose.

4.23 The Local Plan puts considerable emphasis on conserving and enhancing the quality of the town centre environment and requiring a high standard of design in new development. Further enhancement proposals are not specifically identified.

4.24

Much of the work on the Local Plan was completed before the Paisley Vision Board (PVB) was created and since then a number of studies have been carried out on retailing, offices, housing and the University Quarter.

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annex 2 paisley town centre: recent studies 1.

PAISLEY OFFICE MARKET REVIEW

1.1

Ryden was commissioned in 2002 to undertake a review of the Paisley office market. The study looked at the whole town, not just the centre. Key findings included: •

the stock totalled some 704,000ft2 in 343 premises

•

only 5% of units were over 5000ft2, 84% were under 2000 ft2

•

Paisley Town Centre has a substantial 1960’s and 1970’s public sector office quarter; the majority of the stock is at first floor level and of relatively poor quality

•

turnover is quite high with 18% available for lease or sale; only a very limited amount is of modern construction (1990’s or later)

•

the main area of activity is in out-of town locations

•

the Paisley office market is small but important for the town centre

•

there was a demand for around 130,00ft2 of office floorspace in Paisley over the next 3-4 years.

1.2

1.3

In terms of the future town centre supply, Ryden identified Anchor Mill and the University Quarter as significant development opportunities which could provide new and refurbished office accommodation. The Anchor Mill proposal contained just over 20,000ft2 of net office space on the first floor. The University Development Prospectus identified 3 commercial development opportunities of which one for a multi-use centre of 31,000ft2 contained office accommodation. In addition, the area to the north of the town centre around Back Sneddon Street was also thought to have some potential, although development was felt to be constrained by fragmented ownerships.

2.

PAISLEY RETAIL STUDY

2.1

The Paisley Retail Study published in June 2002 by DTZ Pieda provides an extensive analysis of current provision and future prospects for the town. In terms of various UK retail ranking systems Paisley is placed either 13th or 14th of all retail centres in Scotland. It has around 106,000m2 gross retail floorspace, of which nearly 12,000m2 (13%) is vacant, a significantly higher proportion than comparable centres. Multiple retailer representation (47%) is also lower than might be expected (eg. Stirling 60%) and the report concluded that the range and quality of the retail offer in Paisley was restricted.

2.2

The survey of town centre users revealed that the main purpose of 58% (60%) of respondents was to shop, with 11% (10%) citing work, 9% (5%) using financial services and 9% (12%) indicating social and leisure reasons (equivalent 1994 responses are shown in brackets).

2.3

Analysis of the survey of Paisley TC catchment area residents indicated that since 1994 the percentage visiting the town centre for main food shopping had more than halved from 37% to 16%. Those using the town centre for clothing and fashion goods had fallen from 40% to 18% with most of the difference accounted for by Braehead. Similarly, household goods visits had dropped from 41% to 15% with losses to other centres including Glasgow and various retail parks.

Key recommendations of the study included: •

office development in Paisley should be promoted on well located town centre strategic sites

•

the quality of the office specification available in the town centre should be improved, including up-todate ITC infrastructure

•

the area to the north of the town centre and station should be assessed for its suitability as a quality inner city business park, for indigenous and inward investing companies

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2.4

2.5

Qualitative assessment of shoppers’ perceptions about the Town centre indicated that: •

the main advantages of the town centre were its closeness to home (32% - down from 55% in 1994) and covered shopping malls (24%)

•

the main complaint was the poor range of shops (39%) and if there were more big stores and a better variety 56% said they would shop more in the centre

Retail managers felt that more (84%) and cheaper (90%) parking was essential, with free parking (83%) rated as a very high priority. Other issues with more than 50% support were: •

the need to address long-term vacant units (90%) which was linked to lower rental levels (87%)

•

the removal of town centre graffiti (67%)

•

an improved specification of retail units to meet modern market requirements (57%)

•

the need to improve regularity of existing town centre bus services (57%)

•

88

improved road and hard landscaping maintenance (53%)

2.6

The Retail Study calculated that in 2002 Paisley Town centre convenience goods turnover was £33m representing 6% of the catchment area (418,000 population) total convenience goods spending. The equivalent figure for comparison goods was £129m which represents just under 18% of the catchment area estimated total comparison goods spending.

2.7

Future projections by DTZ Pieda suggest that by 2011 the catchment area population will decline by 7,000 and that convenience expenditure in the town centre will decline by around £4m . Over the same period comparison expenditure in the town centre is estimated to rise by £40m which would support around 19,000m2 additional floorspace .

2.8

An alternative and more pessimistic analysis undertaken for the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan Alteration 2005 indicates that by 2011, the estimated turnover in the town from existing and planned convenience (food) floorspace would be around £310m, while available expenditure from the shopping catchment would only be £191m, a notional overprovision of floorspace of the order of nearly £120m.

This takes account of the new Morrisons store but not any other superstore consents in the town This is based on growth of per capita comparison expenditure over the 20022011 period of 35% (at constant prices) and maintaining market share in the face of competition from the new centre at Pollok Technical Report TR C/05 This is based on a convenience catchment population of 82,900 and on importing £33m more expenditure than is exported to competing centres

2.9

A similar exercise was undertaken in respect of comparison shopping, and the Technical Report suggested that the estimated turnover in the town from existing and planned floorspace would be around £327m, while available expenditure from the shopping catchment would only be £242m, a notional overprovision of floorspace of the order of nearly £85m.

2.10 The implications of the Structure Plan analysis are that there is no quantitative case for additional retail development within Paisley over the next 5 years or so but there is a case to improve the quality of the existing provision in order to enhance the competitive position of the centre. In this respect, both reports are effectively saying much the same thing.

This is based on a comparison catchment population of 155,800 and on exporting £244m more expenditure to competing centres (principally Glasgow and Braehead) than is imported to Paisley from elsewhere

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3.

THE FLOWERING OF PAISLEY: THE UNIVERSITY QUARTER

1.1

The Paisley Town Centre Strategy Group commissioned this study by EDI into the feasibility of developing a University Quarter in the town. The study looked at constraints and opportunities, proposed a master plan framework and implementation mechanisms.

3.2

Key constraints identified by the study included: •

negative publicity surrounding the town in all sections of the development market but particularly residential

•

the market for flats in the town centre being in decline; the need to improve the tenemental stock and parking for residents

•

a problem with secondary retail locations with oversupply and many vacant units together with the poor performance of the Piazza Shopping Centre

•

the negative impact of the Braehead Shopping Centre

•

the commuter driven nature of the bulk of the student population in Paisley which reduces evening and weekend impact.

3.3

Opportunities and issues identified in the report focus on the need for: •

•

3.4

a critical mix and mass of retail, related amenities and businesses which provide an enticing offer with small quality hotels and specialised cafes and restaurants a well-rounded experience of which shopping is one component – more should be made of heritage and historic features as well the arts and cultural attractions (new gallery, new relocated library, refurbished museum, new arts centre etc.)

•

flagship housing development with comprehensive marketing strategy to attract new residents into the town centre

•

university development centralised as far as possible on to existing town centre facilities and in medium/long term concentrate the student resident population in the area

•

development of workshops and studios for arts and crafts together with a youth enterprise centre with workspace for new start-ups

•

higher quality innovative buildings to add to the town’s architectural heritage

3.5

The Master Plan framework identified 4 zones within the town centre where there was potential to develop broad functional themes: •

Oakshaw Hill, with its Victorian buildings as the University Old Town area

•

the Piazza/Station Square – as the transport hub of the town centre

•

the Abbey and environs – providing an open civic landscape

•

the University Quarter – which as well as the campus itself would embrace 3 areas on its edge (the High Street frontage – providing a new “front door”; the Alleys network to the south of the High Street – with studio/office/shop opportunities in intimate courts and Storie Street where a new business sector could be developed)

The implementation arrangements suggested a requirement for more detailed project appraisals and refinement of the concept plan and broadening the responsibility for the town centre’s regeneration. In particular, a joint venture company management structure was proposed involving public and private sector partners matching finance from the latter with property assets from the former.

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4.

POTENTIAL RE-USE OF UPPER FLOORS IN PAISLEY

5.

PAISLEY WEST END REGENERATION STUDY

4.1

This 2000 study by Halcrow Fox was commissioned by Scottish Homes, Renfrewshire Council and SE Renfrewshire.

The study focused on the town centre. The key conclusions were:

5.1

This 2005 study was carried out by ODS and Roger Tym

•

•

•

identified potential to convert vacancies to residential use amounting to an estimated 15-17 flats, in properties where there was an expressed or confirmed interest seven more properties may have potential for conversion, but ownership could not be established: if these properties were suitable for conversion, a total of about 30 flats might be developed the potential properties tend to concentrate in the High Street/Gilmour Street area: this might provide an opportunity for a pilot which might stimulate interest from property owners in other parts of the study area.

•

•

this inner urban neighbourhood is predominantly residential with a high proportion of flats; it has declined and the housing/retail markets have performed poorly

They recommended that an area development framework (ADF) should be put in place to re-profile the area as a residential neighbourhood and improve the social/physical fabric. The ADF should be delivered through a multi-agency group operating within the framework of the community planning partnership.

& Partners. The consultants’ overview of the study area concluded that:

5.3

there are high levels of deprivation; crime and antisocial behaviour (often drug related) contribute to its negative image

Interventions should focus on housing related initiatives: •

improved coordination of agencies and services through an estate management agreement

•

concerted effort to improve the image of social and private housing, and increase demand

•

reducing over-supply of social rented house, and increasing choice and quality in the owner-occupied sector.

•

there is a high proportion of social rented housing, characterised by low demand and high turnover

•

sales values are below average, and the private rented sector is significant - partly due to the proximity of the university

5.4

retail has declined “drastically” and much of the core area is characterised by vacant units, compounding the area’s poor image

The west end has declined as a retail area, but its role as a local centre should be protected. Nevertheless, the number of retail units in the core area should be reduced.

5.5

A number of vacant and underused sites are identified as development opportunities that could improve the image of the area, especially when combined with streetscape interventions at key locations.

•

•

90

5.2

the environment is being eroded by poor building maintenance, vacant and derelict sites and poor streetscape quality.

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annex 3 social and economic conditions 1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1

This concise review of social and economic conditions in Paisley is based on the 2001 census settlement profile (see www.scrol.gov.uk).

2.

POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD

2.1

The population of Paisley was 74,170. Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has: •

•

•

•

relatively low levels of home ownership (57.48%/ Scotland 62.59%) and the an above average number of households living in Council and other social rented housing a less cosmopolitan population: 92.9% were born in Scotland (Scotland 87.15%) and only 2.23% were

•

a broadly similar age profile

•

relatively low levels of car ownership: 44.63% of households do not have a car (Scotland 34.23%) and there are 0.74 cars per household (Scotland 0.93)

4.

EMPLOYMENT

4.1

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has: •

•

more single person households: 38.79% in Paisley (Scotland 32.88%), with a particularly high proportion accounted for by people below pension age (23.14%/Scoltand 17.90%) fewer detached houses (10.2%/Scotland 20.4%) and more households living in flats and apartments (51.42%/Scotland 35.58%)

and a higher proportion of the economically inactive are permanently sick or disabled (24.65%/Scotland 21.25%).

born in Europe or the rest of the world (Scotland 3.35%)

•

more people live in overcrowded houses: 15.28% live in households with too few rooms per resident (Scotland 11.74%) an above average share of lone parent households (8.54%/Scotland 6.91%).

a broadly similar economic activity profile, but with -

more people in full-time employment

-

fewer people in self-employment

-

slightly more retired people

3.

HEALTH

-

fewer students

3.1

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has:

-

more people who are economically inactive because of sickness or disability

-

more very long term (3-6 years+) unemployed: (12.23%/Scotland 9.90%)

•

•

•

slightly fewer people are in good health (65.79%/ Scotland 67.91%) slightly more people have a limiting long term illness (22.03%/Scotland 20.31%)

•

a broadly similar industry profile for employed residents, but with:

the economic inactivity rate is higher (see below) paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 91

-

fewer people working in primary/extractive industries

-

more people working in manufacturing, transport and health/social work

- •

•

-

slightly more people working in administrative/ secretarial occupations

-

slightly fewer people working skilled trade occupations

a lower proportion of 16-18 years olds are in fulltime education (58.94%/Scotland 19.47%).

6.

COMMENTARY

6.1

These headline figures from the 2001 Census suggest that, based on these proxy measures, Paisley is somewhat less prosperous than Scotland as a whole. The most marked differences relate to the household composition, the quality of the housing stock and car ownership.

EDUCATION

5.1

Compared with Scotland as a whole, Paisley has: more households where no one aged 16-74 has qualifications or is in full-time education (35.58%/ Scotland 33.11%): -

6.2

slightly more people working in process and elementary occupations.

5.

92

Figure 1: Incidence of multiple deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

a broadly similar occupation profile, but with:

-

•

17.01% have a Level 4 qualification (19.47%)

35.03% have no qualifications (Scotland 33.23%)

6.3

However, Paisley is a very mixed community, with pockets of acute deprivation and poverty balanced by other areas of comfort and prosperity. An analysis of the 2004 Scottish Index of Deprivation (SIMD) highlights the concentration of poverty in housing schemes throughout Paisley.

In the following sequence of maps of Paisley, the areas shaded brown and pink are among the most deprived datazones in Scotland. Figure 1 provides an overview based on the index, which shows that the town centre is surrounded by deprived neighbourhoods: poverty is particularly intense in St James and Ferguslie Park, but there are a number of other deprived areas, for example, in Foxbar, Hunterhill, Seedhill, Gallowhill, Moorpark and Shortroods.

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

6.4

The pattern is very similar for income deprivation (Figure 2) and employment deprivation (Figure 3).

Figure 2: Incidence of income deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

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6.5

Figure 3: Incidence of employment deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

Figure 4: Incidence of health deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

Figure 6: Incidence of education deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

Health deprivation is even more extensive (Figure 4), but housing deprivation – though significant – is less intense, probably reflecting investment in the public sector stock (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Incidence of housing deprivation: Paisley, by datazone

Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

6.5

The picture on education is much more encouraging. Here, serious deprivation is largely confined to St James, Ferguslie Park and Moorpark (Figure 6).

6.6

The Scottish Executive has generated rankings at ward level, which suggest that: •

St James (ranked 11 of 1,222 wards) and Ferguslie (29) are among the 5% most deprived wards in Scotland

•

Shortroods (100) is among the 10% most deprived

•

Sandyford, Seedhill, Paisley Central, Brediland, Saucel & Hunterhill and Foxbar are among the 20% most deprived.

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 93

6.7

These deprived neighbourhoods account for a very significant proportion of the town centre catchment population, including inevitably many of these who (because they on low incomes or do not have access to a car) are most likely to remain loyal to Paisley town centre as a shopping and leisure location.

6.8

We can infer that people living in the more prosperous residential areas of Paisley are more likely to be able to exercises choices about where they shop and spend their leisure time. These higher income individuals are more likely to have transferred part or all of their custom to Braehead or Glasgow city centre.

6.9

This analysis is consistent with and supports the thrust of the property market review supplied by Ryden (Annex 4). It shows that, in addition to the broad economic, social and market forces that are putting pressure on all town centres, Paisley is catering for low income markets, with inevitable consequences for the scale and nature of demand.

94

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annex 4 paisley property market review 1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1

This report reviews Paisley’s town centre retail market.

Retail is the primary, but not the only, function of Paisley town centre, therefore the report also considers other property market sectors too. The report covers: • • • •

2.

Retail property market (section 2) Leisure property market (section 3) Office property market (section 4) Residential property market (section 5)

2.2

2.3

RETAIL PROPERTY MARKET NATIONAL RETAILING

2.1

The UK has enjoyed a period of sustained retail market growth, fuelled by rising consumer expenditure. Scotland has also benefitted from increasing expenditure in recent years. However, consumer confidence has been adversely affected by a series of interest rate rises and a stalling housing market. Following five years of rising expenditure, like-for-like sales have fluctuated considerably during early 2006; smoothing the data suggests a 2.8% rise during the 12 months to March/ April 2006 .

2.4

Source: RBS/ SRC expenditure surveys

As consumer expenditure has increased, spending on “essentials” such as food grows comparatively slowly, while discretionary expenditure increased rapidly. According to HM Treasury Blue Book, UK consumer expenditure on food and drink increased by only 13% between 1995 and 2003.

Meanwhile, expenditure in discretionary areas such as clothing and footwear (up 76%), furnishings and household goods (up 39%) and recreation and cultural activities (up 40%) grew much more strongly.

Increased personal mobility through widespread car ownership, and constraints on free time (particularly for working women) mean that, despite rising expenditure, fewer shopping trips are being made. Again this favours larger centres offering wider ranges of goods and services.

The top 200 UK centres now account for 75% of shopper custom, up from 50% in 1971.

In the grocery sector, slower expenditure growth is driving major chains towards acquisition and diversification.

Following the major acquisitions of Asda (by Walmart) and Safeway (by Morrison), the other major operators Tesco, Sainsbury and Co-op have all recently acquired smaller businesses . Tesco now controls more than 30% of the

Chains acquired include: Europa and T&S Stores (Tesco); Local Plus, Balfour and Alldays (Co-op); Bells Stores and Jacksons (J Sainsbury) (source: IGD Research 2005).

British grocery sector (and 6.5% of the non-food sector ).

The Competition Commission is about to commence a major investigation into this sector.

2.5

DTI estimates that the UK has lost almost 30,000 independent convenience retailers over the past ten years; in Scotland around 3,000-4,000 general grocers have been lost. On the other hand, supermarkets have driven down prices (by 4.1% between 1999-2005) and greatly expanded product choice (by around 40% 1999-2005) .

2.6

Slowing expenditure growth, price deflation, rising costs10, and the expenditure trends described above, are encouraging comparison goods retailers to seek economies of scale. These economies can be achieved by trading from large box retail formats, sometimes in addition to their existing networks of high street shops. The large box retail sector is no longer restricted to bulky goods operators, but now includes high street multiples such as Next, Boots the Chemist, Marks & Spencer, Border Books and Gap.

2.7

Some town centres are responding to this challenge by providing large floorplate solutions in central locations

By some estimates, non-food retailing of clothes, books and media, chemist goods and so on now accounts for between one-fif th and one-quar ter of some major superstores’ sales turnovers.

The Economist, 18 February 2006

10

Including rising minimum and general wages and property cost inflation.

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 95

– essentially hybrid retail parks and shopping malls; an example of this currently under construction at Ayr Central11.

2.8

2.9

Growing leisure expenditure has fuelled a property development boom, encompassing hotels, bars, restaurants, multiplex cinemas and health & fitness clubs.

The development rate has now slowed; some sectors such as health & fitness continue to expand, while others such as cinemas are experiencing their first casualties (for example closures in Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh).

The principal outcome of rising discretionary expenditure and increased mobility is that larger retail centres are becoming stronger. These larger centres include cities, certain major towns, regional malls and prime retail parks with Class 1 planning consents. During 1996-2006, retailer requirements for Scotland’s six cities increased by 30%12.

Meanwhile, smaller centres are becalmed in their local markets, attracting retail warehouse, supermarket and smaller multiple retailer interest, but struggling to secure prime high street multiples.

11 Slightly off-pitch in Ayr town centre, increased planned floorspace by 140% by providing underground car-parking and large units let to Debenhams, Next, H&M and Primark.

12 Source: Property Intelligence/ Ryden 96

PAISLEY

2.10

Historically, Paisley held a position among the larger retail centres. Consumer trends described above were favourable for Paisley - as recently as the 1990s the town was able to attract the new-build Paisley Centre and investment in refurbishment of the Piazza Centre, a position supported by sub-regional status in the structure planning hierarchy.

2.11

In 1999, two major new retail developments were completed close to Paisley. In Glasgow, the UK’s second-largest retail centre after London, Buchanan Galleries provided 56,000 sq.m. of retail floorspace, including the city’s first John Lewis department store. At Braehead, 93,000 sq.m. was provided only four miles from Paisley.

2.13 Table 1 summarises Paisley’s stock of retail floorspace.

There are 435 retail units in Paisley. Currently, 85 units are available to lease or to buy, indicating a high vacancy rate of 20%. Floorspace vacancy is lower, at 12%. However, the large, recently-vacated Littlewoods and Etam units are not included in this data, and the Co-op building is about to come to the market13. Generally, retailer interest in properties on the market in Paisley is very limited at the moment.

Table 1: Paisley Retail Stock

Total Vacant

No of units

Floorspace

435 85

79,830 sq.m.

9,550 sq.m.

Source: Goad / Experian

2.12

Although further away, new development at East Kilbride and refurbishment at Clydebank have reinforced those town’s trading positions relative to Paisley. Finally, Silverburn, Pollok is currently under construction and is due to open in Autumn 2007; it will provide around 93,000 sq.m., anchored by Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and a Tesco store which will open here during 2006; a further 12 major retailers are also discussing terms and the centre has a total of 85 shop units. It is against this extremely challenging background which Paisley’s retail performance and prospects must be considered.

2.14

13

Table 2 and Figure 1 classify retail occupiers present in Paisley town centre. A total of 252 retailers are listed (this is fewer than the 350 retail occupiers in Table 1 as the analysis in Table 2 covers the town centre only).

The Co-op store provides 4250 sq.m. sales area over three floors within the Paisley Centre, for lease as a whole or floor-by-floor, long leasehold or sale as a going concern

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Table 2: Retailers in Paisley Town Centre

Paisley town centre, at 8.7%. Bars, Public Houses and Restaurants have the second highest number of units – not uncommon in a traditional, tenemented town centre. Health & Beauty are also well-represented. Overall, Paisley town centre has a broad mix of retailers, despite the high vacancy rate. This mix is supported by a wide a range of sizes and quality of units, including covered malls, pedestrianised streets and secondary shopping streets.

Source: Goad / Experian & Ryden Retail Category Amusements Bakers Banks Bars, Public Houses and Restaurants Betting Offices Cafes Charity Shop Clothing and shoes Department and Variety Stores Electrical and Durable Goods Fast-food and Takeaway Financial Advisors Furniture, Household Goods and DIY Greeting Cards Hairdressers Health & Beauty Off License Opticians Jewellers Sport, Camping and Leisure goods Telephones and Accessories Toiletries, Cosmetics and Beauty Products Travel Agents 2.15

No. 7 8 6 29 8 11 6 38 3 7 12 11 15 6 20 29 3 4 5 6 8 5 5

Clothing and shoes have the highest share of units in

Figure 2: Paisley Retail Property Supply 1996-2005

Figure 1 – Retail Mix in Paisley Town Centre

Source : SPN

2.17

2.16

Figure 2 shows retail property for sale or let in Paisley since the mid-1990s.

This analysis illustrates the rise in retail vacancies in Paisley during the late 1990s and early 2000s, in response to very difficult trading conditions associated with the launch of Braehead. The c.75 units available at the end of 2005, although high, is substantially down from the peak supply of around 120 units in 1998. At May 2006, despite larger properties coming to the market, supply of retail space comprises 73 properties (including 8 under offer) across 10,164 sq.m. (1371 sq.m. under offer).

paisley town centre study: a strategy for regeneration and transformation | 97

2.18

Looking in greater detail at shopping in Paisley town centre, a number of “pitches” can be identified:

these are under offer) a kiosk is also available.

•

•

The High Street is a traditional, tenemented and part-pedestrianised shopping street. Occupiers include H Samuel and Burton. The High Street is home to 85 retailers and has an estimated 12 (14%) available units on the market, including 9 along the core pedestrianised area. Wellmeadow, essentially a western extension of the High Street, has a total of 49 units, a large number of which are known to be available.

•

•

•

98

Paisley Shopping Centre is a purpose-built modern shopping mall built over three levels. The centre can be accessed from High Street, New Street and Causeyside Street. The centre totals 16,722 sq.m.

The Centre’s anchor tenants are Co-op and Marks & Spencer. Other tenants include Boots, Vodafone, Dixons and Thorntons. There are 33 units in the centre, 11 of which are currently on the market.

Piazza Shopping Centre totals 15,613 sq.m. of retail space. The centre has been successful in attracting a portfolio of discount retailers - tenants include Poundland, Shoe Zone, Half Price Jewelers and Peacocks. Eight of the 30 units are available (two of

2.19

14

2.20

Causeyside Street is the main arterial road running in a north-south direction from Paisley Cross. Paisley Shopping Centre can be accessed from the north end of the street. The south end acts as a secondary retail pitch accommodating local independent occupiers such as hairdressers, newsagents and bookmakers. Of 68 retail units, five are known to be vacant, and one being marketed as a redevelopment opportunity is under offer.

Outwith the town centre is the 16,279 sq.m.

Gallagher Retail Park. Occupiers here include Carpetright, Focus, Matalan, TK Maxx and Topps Tiles.

There is also the Junction Retail Park, which opened in 1999 and houses tenants including Comet, DFS, Harveys and Burger King.

•

Available convenience goods expenditure of £191 million but a turnover requirement to service all existing and consented stores of £310 million.

•

Available comparison goods expenditure of £242 million (after net leakage of £244 million) but a turnover requirement of £328 million to service existing and consented floorspace.

2.21

There is a clear requirement for substantial improvements to Paisley to fulfil its function as a sub-regional shopping centre, in the face of competing modern centres nearby; or alternatively, to function largely as a district centre.

2.22

High Street and the Paisley Shopping Centre represents the highest Zone A rents in Paisley. By retail pitch:

Paisley’s shopper catchment defines the town as a ‘major centre’ with “50,000– 99,999” people14. The resident population of Paisley is 74,170 people. The loyalty of this catchment is questionable, given the town’s proximity to Braehead Shopping Centre and to Glasgow city centre.

ORC/ Property Intelligence

Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Structure Plan Joint Committee provides retail expenditure forecasts for the Plan area at 201115. The forecasts for Paisley are:

•

15

Within the Paisley Shopping Centre, rents are on average circa £65 per sq.ft. Zone A, with one exception reaching £76 per sq.ft. Zone A.

TR C/05 Technical Report: Convenience and Comparison Shopping Capacity Assessments at 2011

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•

•

2.23

2.24

16

High Street rents are in the region of £50-£60 per sq.ft. Zone A, although current market activity suggest that £50 per sq.ft. may be the maximum achievable rent.

On Causeyside Street, rentals vary between £12 to £20 per sq.ft. depending upon location, shape, size and aspect onto the street.

million, reflecting a net initial yield of 5.8%. Paradoxically, institutional investment may be a market failure for Paisley - with a long lease in place there is little incentive to reduce rents or upgrade premises, even if the property is vacant.

2.25

During the period 2000-2006, prime rents in Paisley have risen on a headline basis by 11% from £65 to £72 per sq.ft Zone A. Across Scotland as a whole, the Ryden retail rent index has risen by 12% over the same period. However, substantial incentives such as lengthy rent-free periods are being granted to retailers investing in Paisley, due to a lack of tenant demand.

Investment activity provides a further indication of market confidence in a retail location. In June 2005, Tiger Development acquired 14 (Etam16) and 16 (WH Smith) High Street for £5.0 million, representing an initial yield of 7% and suggesting that Paisley is trading at a discount to similar towns. A retail investment with 8 years remaining on the lease recently struggled to attract interest. In February 2006 Glen Maud, through its asset manager Propinvest Ltd, purchased The Paisley Shopping Centre for £48 Etam’s lease runs until August 2014.

17

Table 4: Retailer Requirements for Paisley Retailer

Turning to future market prospects, a total of 18 national retailers have active requirements for premises in Paisley.

These are itemised in Table 4. Only 9 of these retailers require high street or secondary pitches, i.e. within Paisley Town Centre. The remaining 9 retailers are seeking sites on prominent, busy roads or a retail park format. The largest, TJ Hughes, is an active department store format which typically targets towns such as Paisley. At least one further supermarket operator17 is known to be active in Paisley, in addition to the 6,040 sq.m. Morrison store recently opened at Anchor Mill. It is understood that an amusement arcade operator may be interested in the former Etam unit on the High Street.

Planning consents are available at Love Street (7432 sq.m.) and at the former Arnotts building

Type

Size (sq m)

Aldi Stores

Supermarkets

1360

Bathstore.Com

Bathroom Furniture

230 – 560

Best Cellars

Public Houses

280

Brighthouse

Electronic & Electrical

95 – 185

Carphone Warehouse

Mobile Phones

45 – 140

Frankie & Benny’s

Cafe/Restaurant/Bar

325 – 410

Game

Computers & Software

130 – 230

Health Rack

Health Foods

10 – 55

Hobbycraft Group

Hobbies/Artists Materials

745 – 930

O’Neills

Public Houses

85 – 110

Pets At Home

Pet Shops

370 – 1,115

Silverscreen

Games/ Toys/ Café Audiovisual

185 – 325

Staples (UK) Ltd

Furniture/ Office Equipment/ Supplies

930 – 1395

T-Mobile

Mobile Phones

40 – 65

TJ Hughes

Department Stores

2230 – 13,935

Toby Carvery

Cafe/Restaurant/Bar

650

Vets4pets

Service/Specialist

185

Vintage Inns

Public Houses

650

Source: Property Intelligence 2.26

A time series analysis indicates that Paisley has fallen from

p a i s l e y t o w n c e n t r e s t u d y : a s t r a t e g y f o r r e g e n e r a t i o n a n d t r a n s f o r m a t i o n | 99

being the 148th most-required town in the UK in 1995, to around 411th in 2005. The total numbers of requirements has fallen from 30 to 19. Peer group towns such as Cumbernauld, Greenock, Ayr and Hamilton currently have between 12 and 27 retailer requirements.

2.27

Recent retail deals include : • • •

2.28

2.29

100

Unit 25 Piazza Centre (235 sq.m.) let to Stationery Box for 10 years at £55,000 pa.

Kiosk D Piazza Centre (24 sq.m.) let to FSKI Ltd for 5 years at £12,000 pa.

13/19 Causeyside Street (974 sq.m.) let in February 2006

The challenge facing Paisley is not simply Braehead, but the choice of competing centres west of Glasgow. Few retailers will require stores in Glasgow city centre, Braehead, Silverburn, and Paisley too. Some retailers – such as travel agents – have found that they can serve the Renfrewshire market from Braehead alone. Others – such as mainstream fashion – were expected to turn to Paisley once Braehead became established, but have simply not renewed their interest in the town.

A number of retail opportunity sites exist in Paisley town centre which could accommodate future investment. These include:

2.30

•

The units formerly occupied by Etam, Littlewoods and (shortly) Co-op

•

The former House of Fraser (Arnotts) store18 and carpark. Owners MacDonald Estates propose a mixed-use development comprising 12,500 sq.m. food and non-food retail, 840 sq.m. offices and residential apartments.

It is apparent however that Paisley’s retail sector will continue to consolidate. A lack of new prime retailers, a wave of dis-investment19 and the knock-on effects upon independents have caused a structural shift in the local retail sector. To sustain a healthy town centre, many vacant properties must revert to alternative uses. There is however substantial complexity of building configuration and tenures associated with Paisley’s vacant tenemental stock.

3.

LEISURE PROPERTY MARKET

3.1

The share of UK household disposable income spent on leisure has increased steadily in recent years. According

18

House of Fraser has recently dis-invested from a number of Scottish locations – Paisley, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, leaving major stores in only Glasgow (one store has been converted and one flagship remains) and Edinburgh (two stores – Frasers and Jenners). All of the vacated stores have been taken over by developers with plans for a mix of commercial and residential uses.

19

Not restricted to Paisley – Frasers as above, Co-op and Littlewoods are withdrawing elsewhere too

to the Treasury Blue Book, around 18% is spent on leisure, making it a major expenditure category alongside housing, motor vehicles and shopping.

3.2

The destination of this spend is increasingly dictated by large, drive-time based catchment areas. Major locations such as Glasgow City Centre and purpose-built leisure parks attract exceptional shares of expenditure from surrounding towns and Metropolitan area. These destinations form a natural complement to the local leisure offer in the same way regional shopping centres sit alongside town centres.

3.3

At a town level, leisure provision tends to be aimed at a very local catchment population. According to Experian, Paisley town centre has 29 bars, public houses and restaurants.

SPN reports 7 leisure units on the market. Paisley also has four health & fitness operators in-town.

3.4

There are only two leisure requirements for Paisley, both of which seek prime pitch / high street, good secondary fringe prime or prominent busy road locations. A further amusement arcade is also reported to be interested in town centre premises. There may be additional, local requirements for town centre premises.

3.5

A number of developments (will) impact on Paisley’s leisure market:

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•

•

Xscape at Braehead is a new 3250 sq m leisure and retail scheme, which opened in April 2006. The scheme is anchored by a “real snow” indoor 200m ski slope, an Odeon 12-screen multiplex cinema and a 22-lane Bowlplex. Around 35 units have been created and tenants include Trespass, Ellis Brigham, Billabong, Nandos, Frankie & Benny’s, TGI Fridays, Tootsies, MA Potters, Pizza Hut, PizzaExpress and Chiquitos. The development was 90% pre-let.

•

3.6

There is a fast food village at Phoenix Business Park comprising KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Ashoka Shack.

In-town, Vico Properties has secured Mecca Bingo for a site close to the Watermill via a relocation from the High Street.

The scale of this development means that the rate at which leisure expenditure is diverted from Paisley is likely to increase. Some leisure operators which might previously have been interested in Paisley will consider the local

redevelopment opportunities, it is still very high indeed at around 34%.

Figure 3: Paisley Office Availability (2000 – 2005)

3.7

Paisley’s future leisure market potential is therefore local.

The market opportunity is to create facilities complementary to town centre retail, employment and residential uses, and to extend town centre activity beyond shopping hours. This might be termed “convenience” rather than destination leisure, and will include bars, restaurants and cafes. Other market opportunities could include one-off requirements for a hotel (there is no modern hotel in Paisley) and further health & fitness operators.

4.

OFFICE PROPERTY MARKET

4.1

Office market activity in Paisley is directed towards Paisley town centre, regeneration areas and established business park. The town’s total office stock is 508 units, providing just over 100,000 sq.m. of floorspace.

Silverburn Shopping Centre opens Autumn 2007 and is located just over two miles to the east of Paisley.

In addition to the retail offer described, earlier there will also be a significant element of leisure uses.

•

market adequately served by the range of out-of-town destinations.

4.2

20

Figure 3 shows availability of offices for sale or let in Paisley20 2000-2005. There are currently 69 units available (34,000 sq.m. of floorspace). This includes 7000 sq.m. marketed by Renfrewshire Council at the headquarters north site, Cotton Street, as a residential opportunity.

Although the vacancy rate is artificially inflated by such Includes Glasgow Airport but does not include Braehead

4.3

Supply of offices in Paisley has been rising since 2002.

Anchor One (a Grade A listed conversion offering 2370 sq.m.) recently came to the market. The local market spans a broad range of units from traditional small suites above shops and managed business centres, through flexible refurbished accommodation to modern business space.

4.4

Take-up of office premises in Paisley is volatile (Figure 4).

Activity can appear high where small offices on short leases are re-let regularly. The typical rate appears to be at least 30 offices sold or let each year.

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transfor mation | 101

4.5

4.6

Enquiries for offices in Paisley are mainly from local occupiers seeking space in the town centre. Demand is limited. Only Cirrus, a modern office at Glasgow Airport Business Park has generated a relatively high number of enquiries and a recent letting of 1394 sq.m. to First Milk Ltd. Traditional town centre offices typically achieve rents of around £75-85 per sq.m. for short term leases. Prime rents are around £110 per sq.m. These are sub-marginal rents which can support conversion of existing premises, but not new-build. There is some evidence of demand for owneroccupation in Paisley. Capital rates for sales of traditional offices are £450 - £750 per sq.m.

4.7

compete strongly in terms of price, surrounding amenities and location. Good quality office space being offered to the market around Paisley includes Anchor One and Braehead Business Park. These two developments alone will satisfy much of the local and mobile demand seeking new and refurbished office space.

4.8

Figure 4: Paisley Office Take-Up (2000-2005)

102

Market competition is intensive and new offices must

In addition to these new (re)developments, recent office refurbishments in Paisley such as Mile End Mill and Mirren Chambers have succeeded by providing centrallylocated premises on terms acceptable to the market. For the foreseeable future this affordable redevelopment/ conversion market for lease or owner-occupation will remain Paisley town centre’s best prospect for attracting office market investment and activity.

5.

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET

5.1

The Paisley residential market has experienced growing demand and prices in recent years. The drivers of growth are smaller households, stock renewal and good economic fundamentals (high employment and low interest rates).

Paisley is also beginning to benefit from overspill from the Glasgow market and good external communication links.

The rental market in Paisley has also expanded alongside the University of Paisley.

5.2

Table 5 and Figures 5 and 6 show average prices for secondhand and new-build houses in the PA1 postcode area, alongside numbers of units transacted. The secondhand market has achieved c3,000 sales per annum since 2001, while the new-build market has fluctuated between 220 – 422 sales. Prices in both sectors have increased rapidly; by 8% per annum over since 1996 for secondhand houses and by nearly 11% per annum for new houses21. The 2005 average price of £91,824 is below the average Scottish house price for second hand dwellings of £105,097.

21 It is possible that new-build house prices are not mix-adjusted, meaning that larger units would account for some of the growth in prices.

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Figure 6: Average Price & Number Of Transactions For New Build Dwellings In

Table 5: House Prices & Transactions In Postcode Area Pa122 (1996-2005) Year

Secondhand Average Price £

No.

Average Price £

•

Persimmon Homes, in conjunction with Historic Scotland and The Phoenix Trust, recently completed restoration of the former Thread Mill (Anchor Mill) into one and two-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom triplex and two, three and four-bedroom duplex homes. Prices are between £225,000 - £299,000 (reflecting a capital sales rate above £2000 per sq.m.)

•

Wallace Court near St Mirren football ground was completed in early 2005. This is a mid-market development where two-bedroom flats can reach capital sales rates of between £1300-£1400 per sq.m.

•

Two bedroom flats at Seedhill Road and St Andrews Court were recently sold in the region of £90,000.

Postcode Area Pa1 (1996-2005)

New-build No

1996

42,675

1,437

73,661

241

1997

44,324

3,443

73,306

371

1998

46,208

3,223

74,180

303

1999

50,903

2,896

79,738

233

2000

51,991

3,593

82,433

422

2001

57,693

3,427

112,241

351

2002

61,812

3,510

111,279

317

2003

71,178

3,684

142,773

333

2004

90,706

3,405

219,768

220

2005

91,824

3,233

201,930

286

Source: I-Spolis Figure 5: Average Price & Number of Transactions for Secondhand Dwellings in Postcode Area PA1 (1996-2005)

5.3

5.4

23 22

The level of new house-building in Renfrewshire is below estimated need. For the period 1998–2002, new supply was only 76% of the estimated demand. The annual building ratio was 0.80, well below the Scottish average of 0.9823. Forecast development for 2006 and 2007 is 800 units and 850 units respectively, indicating a rising trend.

Recently there have been a large number of new-build one and two-bedroom flats on the market in Paisley.

Developments include:

Prospects For The Scottish Housebuilding Industry 2004-2007 By Mackay Consultants.

5.5

Market evidence suggests there is continuing high demand for one and two-bedroom flats in Paisley for owner occupation and for the buy to let market.

•

Carvill is currently developing the Weave site, a 121property scheme featuring two-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom houses. The site is in close proximity to both Canal Line and Gilmour Street train stations.

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•

5.6

5.7

These developments are notable for providing a mix of accommodation types in the middle and upper markets, within proximity of Paisley town centre.

Renfrewshire Council reports 59 known or potential housing sites24 in Paisley. Twenty-four of the sites are under construction, 18 have planning permission, 13 are potential sites and 4 are Local Plan sites. From the 24 sites under construction, 18 are private housing sites. Table 6 shows the breakdown of programmed completions for Paisley based upon known planning applications and developer intentions (this is the reason that the figures tail-off).

Table 6: Programmed Housing Completions in Paisley Year Programmed Completions

05/06

06/07

07/08

487

425

445

08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 320

179

109

4

Source: Renfrewshire Council

24

104

5.8

The largest town centre residential development site is Renfrewshire Council’s 1.15-hectare (6592 sq.m. floorspace) headquarters north site, Cotton Street.

Expressions of interest are currently invited from prospective developers.

5.9

Although price inflation in the housing market has slowed, the economic fundamentals remain sound. However, in common with many West of Scotland towns demand in Paisley is finite due to adverse population trends.

Residential development is expected remain a major driver of town centre investment, activity and diversification in Paisley for the medium term.

The Spires is located off Gockston Road near the town centre. The 127 properties comprise semidetached and detached homes from £130,995.

In order to qualify as a housing site there must be potential for 4 or more dwellings

Post 2012 333

RYDEN

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annex 5 transport and access

1.

INTRODUCTION

•

shopping trips, sometimes combined with access to food, drink and other leisure activities

1.1

The purpose of this report is to contribute to the Paisley Town Centre study commissioned by the Paisley Vision Board. The report:

•

access to other retail services

•

travel to work

•

travel to study

•

access to civic and administrative functions

•

transport interchange

•

considers existing transport and access issues in Paisley Town Centre through an analysis of key trip generators/attractors for pedestrian and vehicular traffic

•

assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the current transport facilities and services

•

identifies transport options to enhance the vitality and operational efficiency of the town centre, and

2.2

•

2.

suggests potential measures that could be implemented to improve the situation

2.4

Paisley is located close to the M8, with links to the motorway east and west of the town. It is also within easy striking distance of Glasgow Airport. The town is particularly well served by rail service to Glasgow and the Clyde coast, and is also an important hub for an extensive range of local and sub-regional bus services.

3.

TRANSPORT MODES: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Walking

3.1

Paisley’s key radial roads provide direct, if in sometimes inhospitable, routes into the town. However, pedestrian access to the town centre is made significantly more difficult by the presence of an effective ring-road, which creates a real physical barrier to walking into the town centre. While there are pedestrian crossings at junctions around the ring road, these often involve several stages and in some locations significant waiting times.

3.2

Paisley town centre offers a generally agreeable environment especially in the pedestrianised central retail area and there are some information signposts in the core

TRIP GENERATORS AND ATTRACTORS 2.3

2.1

Despite the evidence of decline in retail activity and town centre jobs, Paisley is still a large shopping and employment centre. The town is the administrative centre of Renfrewshire Council, which has its principal buildings in the town centre. There are numerous public and administrative buildings, including law courts, a large police station and the regional offices of Communities Scotland.

Centre, Paisley Central Library, the Paisley Museum & Art Gallery, the Paisley Arts Centre and Coats Observatory.

There are a variety of facilities and attractions in Paisley town centre which may generate trips. The primary reasons for visiting the town centre include:

The University of Paisley’s main campus is located just off the High Street, on the south-west side of the town centre.

Reid Kerr College is located to the north-east of the town centre, close to the M8 (junction 27). There is a variety of leisure and cultural facilities including the Lagoon Leisure

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transfor mation | 105

pedestrian area. However, away from the pedestrianised area, many streets are unwelcoming and there are particular problems with derelict sites and buildings, litter and graffiti.

These contribute to a sometimes threatening environment, and there are reported problems of anti-social behaviour – for example, people drinking in streets and public spaces - and fear of crime, especially in the evenings.

Cycling

3.3

The town centre does not have a comprehensive network of cycling connections or facilities. Apart from National Cycle Route 7 (from Carlisle to Inverness), the Paisley and Clyde Railway path (part of NCR 75 - Clyde to Forth Cycle Route) and some sections of Glasgow and Clyde Coast Cycle Route, which run to the south and east of Paisley, there is little in the way of strategic cycling provision in the area.

With the exception of a few disconnected sections of local cycleway, access to the town centre from outlying areas is problematic as cyclists must use the general road network.

Facilities, such as cycle parking or storage within the town centre are also limited, with only a few parking stands in the pedestrianised zone.

3.4

106

Consultation with the local authority suggests that at present there is little cycling activity in the Paisley area and low demand for facilities, but this may be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Public Transport

3.5

Paisley is as a well-connected town with frequent public transport services. This means that it is relatively easy for residents of the catchment area to get to the town centre, but it is also easy for them to leave and travel to larger more attractive retail centres such as Glasgow and Braehead.

3.6

Paisley is well-served by rail services to and from Glasgow, Inverclyde and Ayrshire. There are eight train services per hour between Paisley Gilmour Street and Glasgow Central Monday to Saturday in both directions (less frequent on Sundays). In addition there is a half-hourly train service between Paisley Canal Street and Glasgow Central Monday to Saturday in both directions (no Sunday service). All rail services are operated by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT). Despite the high frequency of trains serving Paisley, there are quality issues relating to the station infrastructure and information provision.

3.7

Paisley town centre is well-served by high frequency daytime bus services to/from suburban areas, neighbouring towns, Braehead and Glasgow. However, there are problems with service quality, especially among the numerous smaller operators. Evening and weekend services are less frequent.

3.8

The bus-waiting infrastructure in the town centre is generally of high quality with most bus shelters well-used and in

good condition. By contrast, bus stances in Central Road are poorly lit, inhospitable and unwelcoming. There is also a problem with information provision for bus services to/from the town centre.

3.9

Taxi ranks are located at various points around the town centre. Taxis are permitted to use the bus-only sections of Gauze Street and Causeyside Street, maximising their ease of circulation in the town centre.

Private Car

3.10

Paisley has easy access to/from the strategic road network and is easily accessed by car from most directions via its good radial routes. These include the A726 to the southeast, the A761 and M8 to Glasgow the east and north-east, the M8 to the north and north-west, the A761/A737 to the west and south-west.

3.11

The town centre is effectively bounded by a partial ring-road on the south and east sides. The north and west sections of the ring are less heavily used (in part due to the low bridge restrictions on Underwood Road). This ring-road is a dual carriageway for most of its route and from observation appears to be functioning within capacity on most sections.

However some junctions on this ring-road are large and complicated, with junctions and traffic signals that are

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especially difficult for visitors. The heavily engineered character of the ring road makes it hard for motorists to orientate themselves in relation to the ring road.

Signposting on key approach rotes and on the ring-road is often confusing, unhelpful and lacking key directions such as to the town centre itself.

3.12

3.13

3.14

Circulation within the town centre is problematic mostly due to difficulties with orientation and navigation. The town centre is difficult to ‘read’ for many motorists, especially those unfamiliar with the area, partly due to physical barriers such as the river, the railway embankment on the north side of the town and the dual carriageway ring-road.

These barriers limit visibility of potentially key town-centre identifiers such as the Town Hall and the Abbey.

Most of the roads in and around the town centre appear to be operating within capacity at most times and there are few significant queuing problems at junctions. However there is some peak hour congestion, especially on approaches to and around the eastern and southern sections of the ring road. In addition, the local road network is highly susceptible to the knock-on impacts of problems on the M8.

There are two multi-storey car parks in the town centre; at the Piazza (365 spaces) and at the Paisley Centre (520 spaces). In addition there are several council-operated

surface car parks for long and short-stay parking and also some areas of on-street parking provision. Both the multistorey and surface car parks have some on-street signing.

3.15

Parking within the town centre has been studied separately (Buchanan) and it has been found that in parking supply is adequate in order to meet demand, with a weekday occupancy ratio of approximately 85%. This is considered to be the optimum ratio of demand to capacity in order to balance high town centre activity levels with low search time. However, the report also notes that, taking account of Renfrewshire’s minimum parking standards and SPP17 maximum standards, the town centre could technically be described as being under provided with parking. It suggests that the vitality of Paisley town centre could be improved by a decrease in long stay parking and an increase in short-stay provision. A separate study by Faber Maunsell has found that satisfaction with the quality of Paisley’s off-street car parks (both multi-story and surface-level) by existing users is also relatively high.

Walking – Strengths

3.16

Provision for pedestrian activity within Paisley town centre is relatively good, with a high quality pedestrianised zone around the main retail area. There is good potential for walking activity to/from the town centre as many residential areas are located quite close to the town centre. The demography of town centre users includes high proportions of low-income residents (such as the unemployed, students and pensioners), for whom walking is an attractive option.

3.17

Increased pedestrian activity could help to improve the vitality and viability of Paisley town centre. As walking is used at both beginning and end of most journeys, there is scope to increase distances walked and access alternative routes. High pedestrian footfall, and attractive and functional pedestrian routes, can improve the entire environment and character of the area. Waterside routes are often particularly attractive and well-used, and the White Cart Water riverside could provide opportunities for improvements to town centre access.

Walking – Weaknesses

3.18

The effective ring-road around the town centre creates a barrier for pedestrians and the severance of walking routes from residential areas into the town centre is a problem. Pedestrian routes that are indirect, inconvenient,

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transfor mation | 107

or encounter substantial delays are unlikely to encourage walking to, from or around the town centre. In addition some pedestrian routes conflict with other modes, for example at the pedestrian crossing on Causeyside Street, buses queue across the crossing for the adjacent bus stops.

3.19

3.20

108

Within the town centre, the sometimes inhospitable and threatening atmosphere can be a significant deterrent to walking in the area. A more safe, secure and welcoming environment is needed, especially at night and in some locations such as bridge arches that are dark and secluded.

A lack of surveillance, overlooking uses and low activity levels can have a direct impact on pedestrian feelings of safety and security.

Navigation in the town centre when on foot can be somewhat problematic. Orientation is difficult for those unfamiliar with the town layout and while Paisley does have some clear landmarks (the Abbey, Town Hall, and Observatory) they are often not visible from the street. Some pedestrian signing for navigation and information does exist but the stands are not immediately noticeable and they contain too much detail with too small print size to be easily read and useful.

Cycling – Strengths

3.21

While there are few existing provisions for cyclists in terms of either routes or facilities such as storage, the relatively ‘blank canvas’ means that there is great potential for the development of a well-connected and integrated cycling network. Paisley has the opportunity to carefully plan and create a user-friendly network, closely aligned with existing and future desire lines. The White Cart Water riverside in Paisley could provide an ideal opportunity for mixed-use access improvements to the town centre.

3.22

There is also significant potential for improvements to cycling facilities in the town centre such as sheltered cycle storage within the pedestrianised zone or secure locked storage at Gilmour Street Station.

Cycling – Weaknesses

3.23

Cycling activity into and around the town centre area is presently believed to be very low, with poor provision of routes and facilities. The current lack of dedicated tracks obliges cyclists to share heavily trafficked roads. The present regime does nothing to encourage cycling as a healthy and sustainable mode of transport.

Public Transport – Strengths

3.24

Paisley has a wealth of public transport services including frequent bus and rail services to/from the town centre and key surrounding locations such as Glasgow City Centre. It is easy for local residents to access the town centre area by bus from most surrounding areas during the day. There are high quality bus shelters on Gauze Street, Smithills Street and Causeyside Street. There is also a good presence and availability of taxis within the town centre area from a number of taxi ranks.

Public Transport – Weaknesses

3.25

The quality of the public transport services to and from Paisley is very variable. There is particular concern about the quality of bus services provided by some of the smaller bus operators. Buses on some routes are often old, inaccessible and dirty, and services can be late or not run at all. Unattractive public transport services drag down the overall image of the town centre environment and give a poor impression of Paisley to new and regular visitors alike.

3.26

While daytime bus services are generally in plentiful supply, evening and other non-peak services are at best infrequent and sometimes non-existent.

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3.27

3.28

3.29

Information provision for bus and train services is generally poor. Train timetables are available on request, but are not easily accessible or obviously on display. Bus, train and coach information is provided at the Strathclyde Passenger Transport information office on Causeyside Street. However this is not easy to locate and is too distant from either the rail station or bus stops to be immediately useful for travellers.

Finally there are also some quality issues with public transport infrastructure in the town centre. While some bus stops are of high quality, those on Central Road, under the Piazza Multi-Storey Car Park, are very poor. This area is dark, inhospitable and unwelcoming. It is not obviously a key bus interchange location from its external appearance; it has poor pedestrian access and can have a very threatening feel, especially for new visitors or more vulnerable groups.

In addition buses frequently queue into, through and out of Central Road, which creates localised congestion and trapped pollution, meaning that the area will soon be designated as an Air Quality Management Area.

Visitors to the rail station also experience difficulties with infrastructure quality. Firstly the station entrances/exits are not easily visible from all directions, despite its prominent central position in the town. Internal station circulation and navigation is difficult as routes to/from the platforms are

not immediately obvious. Also the station platforms are set on an embankment making them susceptible to inclement weather, and have little in the way of furniture or shelter, making for a generally bleak and inhospitable waiting environment.

Private Car – Strengths

3.30

Paisley is well located in relation to the strategic road network and has good highway approaches from all directions. The town centre has an effective ring-road arrangement with apparent space capacity especially on the west and northern sections. This ring-road effectively funnels traffic around the town-centre periphery, keeping peak-hour congestion and its associated negative impacts, such as noise and air pollution, away from the commercial centre and historic core.

3.31

Parking within Paisley has been thoroughly reviewed in two separate studies on demand/supply and customer satisfaction. Broadly there is a plentiful supply of parking for those visitors who choose to drive to the town centre and for existing users there is good satisfaction with current parking facilities. There is also a supply of car parking spread across the town centre area, meaning that most attractions are served by at least some parking provision in close proximity.

3.32

The Piazza multi-storey car park is very well located in close proximity to many of the shops, including the Piazza Centre, the High Street, and the Paisley Centre. In contrast, the Paisley Centre multi-storey car park is located to the southwest of the town, between the Paisley Centre and the Paisley University campus. It has more spaces than the Piazza car park, and is of higher aesthetic quality, with a more convivial atmosphere.

Private Car – Weaknesses

3.33

Driving into and around Paisley town centre can be a confusing and disorientating experience. The quality of signing on some approaches is poor, causing confusion and a stressful driving experience. On some larger signs there is serious case of information overload, while some key features/attractions (such as car parks, the university and the town centre itself) are not clearly indicated. This makes locating the town centre from the strategic and local road network highly problematic, especially for new visitors. In contrast, signing to the strategic road network such as the M8 is mostly quite clear, once again helping visitors to leave Paisley rather than enter the town centre.

3.34

However signing is a vitally important navigation aid for drivers arriving in Paisley town centre as there are many barriers which make the town centre very difficult to ‘read’

paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transfor mation | 109

for many motorists, especially those unfamiliar with the area. From most of the main approach roads it is not possible to see key features of the town such as the Abbey, Town Hall, rail station or the main High Street, any of which may give an indication of the direction of the town centre.

Physical barriers to this visibility include the canal, the railway embankment across the northern edge of town and the dual carriageway ring-road.

3.35

3.36

110

Signing to car parks is also poor on many approaches.

Where the Piazza and Paisley Centre car parks are signed, there is only a blue P and the names Paisley Centre and Piazza. There is no mention of the words ‘parking’ or ‘car park’. Even on arrival at these car parks from the key approach roads, the car parks themselves are difficult to find, especially the entrance to the Piazza Centre car park which is very inconspicuous. Signing to the many small, scattered short and long-stay surface car parks is also poor with just small one-off signs on the direct approaches.

These signs often don’t give any indication of the number of spaces available or what other attractions are in a similar direction (i.e. what destinations may be convenient for users of this car park).

Car parking provision itself is scattered and confusing with no apparent coherent strategy in relation to parking location, pricing or the balance between short and longstay. Access to and from the car parks, especially the two

main multi-storeys, from the ring-road and elsewhere within the town centre area, is very convoluted. The exit route from the Piazza car park is particularly difficult as it requires a left-turn into Central Road and then another into Smithhills Street in order to go under the railway embankment bridge and into the northern gyratory system. This route is frequently heavily congested with queuing buses and taxis, and as a result car drivers often disregard the regulations and turn right into either Central Road or Smithhills Street in order to more quickly exit the town centre area.

3.37

3.38

In comparison with the large, well-designed and free car parks at other locations such as Braehead shopping centre, parking in Paisley town centre is highly tortuous and therefore a disincentive to visit. The internal layout of the multi-storey car parks, especially the Piazza car park, is difficult both for circulating vehicles and for pedestrians, due to limited internal space. Pedestrians walk on the vehicle ramps in order to move between levels and the route to the shops and town centre is not shown. In addition the opening hours of the car parks, particularly the multistoreys, are restricted especially at night, which constrains the potential success of any evening leisure industry such as pubs and restaurants.

Traffic circulation within the town centre is also problematic due to the constantly changing direction of the ring-road

arrangement. This presents the motorist with a continually shifting orientation in relation to the town, which is made even more disorientating by the inability to see, or even visualise, the town centre.

3.39

Finally significant peak hour congestion is observed on some key routes, especially on approaches to and around the eastern and southern sections of the ring road. The local road network is known to be highly susceptible to the knockon impacts of congestion problems on the strategic road network such as the M8.

4.

MEASURES/IMPROVEMENTS Walking

4.1

There is a definite need for a safer and more welcoming environment and atmosphere on pedestrian routes to, from and within the town centre. It is suggested that in order to meet this need a focussed walking (and cycling) strategy should be developed to create a coordinated programme of works for pedestrians (and cyclists). These schemes would address security issues, navigation problems and the current lack of useable attractive infrastructure provision for pedestrians.

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4.2

4.3

4.4

Dark, secluded locations must be reduced and surveillance and lighting enhanced to reduce the perception of crime (and fear of crime) in the town centre. This could be through the careful design of pedestrian routes, the use of CCTV in key locations such as in the town centre, in car parks and under bridges, and through an increase in police foot patrols. Key pedestrian corridors should also be identified where there is clear potential for significant pedestrian movements. Such routes are likely to run from the residential periphery into the town centre core, and also link to other strategic transport infrastructure such as the national cycleways and the train station. This will enable the concentration of resources and allow natural activity levels to enhance the feeling of safety of these routes.

In addition, new developments should be designed so as to be more outward-looking, with windows overlooking streets, footpaths and public spaces, in order to increase natural surveillance levels. A conscious effort must be made to ‘design-out’ any locations with potential to encourage loitering, unfriendly groups. Where new lights are installed, or old lights replaced, they should use high-pressure sodium (SON) lighting which gives a whiter light with better colour definition thus appearing brighter and feeling safer.

The river-side of the White Cart Water has significant potential as an attractive pedestrian route into town,

especially from the south-east and the new up-market residential redevelopment of Anchor Mill. However the success of any new or revamped pedestrian route is dependent on its image as a clean, safe and pleasant walking environment. In order to achieve this ideal, the incumbent image of squalor and neglect must be overcome.

This would require the regular removal of litter from the river and its environs, cleaner and better-lit paths, and improved green spaces with extra landscaping along the riverbanks.

4.5

4.6

The most direct route from the Anchor Mill building towards the town centre is via the Seedhill underpass, which is dark, filthy and covered in graffiti. If this underpass could be cleaned, upgraded with new lighting, CCTV, and more open/ inviting entrances, and linked with a user-friendly riverside footway, it could provide a highly attractive alternative to crossing the busy dual-carriageway of Mill Street.

The pedestrian crossing arrangements of the ring-road also need to be addressed in order to facilitate quicker and easier pedestrian movement. Improvements at appropriate locations should include giving greater time priority to pedestrian phases at signal junctions and providing more roadspace for pedestrians by increasing pavements widths and island-refuge sizes at crossings. The negative impact and priority of the hard road environment at these junctions could also be softened to include some strategic planting

and differentiated crossing surfaces. Such measures will encourage walking into the town centre and reduce the isolation of residential suburbs from the core area. It will also therefore limit the natural inclination for local residents to drive into town, which creates peak-hour congestion.

4.7

However such improvements should give heed to their potential impact on reduced traffic through-put and increased queues and so be at appropriate, carefullyselected locations such as the Glasgow Road/Mill Street/ Gauze Street junction, and at the junctions on either end of Gordon Street.

4.8

Once in the town centre, pedestrians are relatively well catered for, with a clean and tidy pedestrian core (albeit slightly let down by unkempt vacant shop fronts). However there is a lack of quality pedestrian signing to aid navigation and direct movements between locations. This is especially important for new visitors to the town, for whom it is difficult to establish bearings on immediate departure from the car parks or the rail station. Paisley town centre has considerable quality of its built heritage, and if visitors to attractions such as the Coats Observatory and the Museum/Art Galleries are to be retained, or even potentially expanded, then pedestrian visitors need to be better catered for.

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4.9

Signposts should be highly visible at key junctions and decision points and easily identifiable from some distance away. They should show large, high-level direction arrows to key town centre locations, including visitor attractions, the Tourist Information Centre and the Rail Station. In addition, a clear and colourful town centre plan is useful at eyelevel, with some detailed information on local attractions if desired.

Cycling

4.10 At present there is little in the way of cycling provision to/from and within the town centre. If there is a desire to capitalise upon the potential for increased cycling activity, then the provision of facilities needs to be improved. This could include planning a quality network of on and off-road cycle routes from surrounding residential areas to the town centre. On-road routes on key radials could simply involve the installation of distinguishing road-markings and signs to indicate the presence of cycle lanes. This greatly increases the awareness of and thus safety of cyclists. Advanced stop lines with box markings should be provided in order to allow then safe passage through junctions, especially some of the more complicated signal junctions on the ring-road. Covered and secure cycle storage facilities will also be required in the town centre at key locations e.g. the High Street, outside the University and at the rail station.

112

4.11

If these facilities are to be fully utilised, a strategy of

reputation of the whole town. Most people’s impressions and memories are formed either at the start or end of a process, so the station is the key to creating a positive arrival and departure point for trips to Paisley. This could be achieved by the installation of clean, bright and comfortable platform waiting facilities including seating, toilets and refreshment facilities such as a café and snack machines. In addition the movements between platforms and into/out of the station could be improved by better internal signing.

marketing and initial incentives will be required to stimulate demand. The focus should be on provision of information on an individual’s travel choices, targeting University and college students, journeys to school and work (especially for lower-income groups) and on the health benefits of cycling, advertised through GP surgeries.

Public Transport

4.12

The quality of public transport infrastructure provision in Paisley town centre needs to be significantly raised if the overall image of the town is to be improved. When Paisley Gilmour Street becomes an interchange station for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, it is expected to receive considerably more visitors and transfer passengers than at present. This will significantly increase the profile and role of Paisley Gilmour Street station above its current status.

Realistically many passengers may simply be transferring between services, or even staying on the train while it is stopped at the station, so the platforms of Gilmour Street station may be all they see of Paisley. The aesthetic quality of these platforms is therefore likely to be significant for many people’s future image of Paisley as a place.

4.13

If the currently bleak and inhospitable platforms can be transformed into more comfortable and welcoming waiting places, this is likely to substantially improve the image and

4.14

More also needs to be made of Gilmour Street station as a gateway to the town and as a key centre of public transport interchange. Although the station name is in large letters on the railway bridge, the station entrance door is not at all clear from the outside on either County Square or Old Sneddon Street. Despite its prominent central position, the station is difficult to find from elsewhere in the town as it cannot be easily seen or identified and pedestrian signing to it is poor. These issues can be simply addressed though some investment in town centre signing and the external character/image of the station.

4.15

There should additionally be better integration between the rail station, the taxi rank on County Square, the bus stops on Central Road (plus the airport bus stop on Old Sneddon Street) and any new infrastructure provision for pedestrians and cyclists. This is an ideal location for such a

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key transport interchange, within easy walking distance of all town centre activities, yet conveniently close to the town edge to provide quick and easy access for buses and taxis.

This could be simply achieved through the naming, and signposting of the area as a transport hub.

4.16

4.17

Such plans should also incorporate the upgrading of Central Road bus stops. This could involve the total redevelopment of the entire area or a simple refurbishment. At a basic level, the underside of the car park infrastructure could be painted white and kept clean, the few dingy orange lights replaced with SON lighting as described above, the dirty netting on the archway over the river could be cleaned or removed, and rubbish cleared from the access road. The entrance to the Piazza shopping centre should also be opened up made more eye-catching and levelled to be more accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

At a more extreme level, in order to dramatically improve the Central Road vicinity, which is desperately needed, more acute measures could be taken. These could involve the relocation of the Piazza centre car park, and the removal of the overhead concrete structure, thus ‘opening-up’ Central Road to create a proper bus station. This would open the road to natural daylight, making it more attractive and feeling safer. A glass roofed structure could be used to maximise the natural light yet still provide shelter for

waiting passengers. This would also have the added bonus of potentially reducing the pollutants which currently get trapped under the Central Road car park, creating a severe air quality problem. This would include regular and reliable services going when and where there is passenger demand and a modern accessible low-floored/kneeling bus fleet with access for those with impaired mobility and wheelchairs, buggies and prams.

4.18

4.19

Bus service quality also needs improving in the town centre.

Several of the less-reputable operators run unreliable services with old inaccessible vehicles, thus providing the customer with a less-than-satisfactory travel experience. If bus travel is to be encouraged as affordable, accessible and congestion-busting transport, then services need to be as attractive as possible. The council should therefore make efforts to reach contractual arrangements with bus operators to ensure enforceable minimum quality standards and to improve customer service.

A final key section of public transport measures involves the provision of information relating to public transport services. At present this provision is essentially non-existent in any useful location. There is a SPT information office on Causeyside Street, which is too far from the rail station and most bus stops in order to be practically useful, and train timetables can be requested from the ticket office at the rail

station. However there are almost no bus timetables actually at the bus stops, and there is little information available on the rail station platforms.

4.20

In order to improve the situation, information provision should be rationalised into a one-stop-shop for all public transport information, including local buses, trains and longer-distance coach and ferry services. In addition, a branding and marketing strategy should be developed to create a strong brand image and campaign for the future of Paisley. This should be closely aligned with its key transport interchange role. Marketing and availability of information materials can have a significant impact on retail vitality and public transport patronage, particularly when aligned with service and infrastructure improvements.

Private Car

4.21

Car drivers are the most affluent section of society and it is these customers that have been lost to other shopping centres such as Braehead and Glasgow city centre. In order to maintain a core retail market, whatever type and order this may be, and to prevent further loss to other competitive centres, current shoppers in Paisley must be retained. This will be best achieved through the diversification of activity in the town centre and through an improved image of Paisley to retain higher-income shoppers and prevent further decline.

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4.22

4.23

4.24

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The creation of this improved image and reputation is dependent upon an ameliorated town centre environment.

The focus must be on developing the general perception of a more attractive town centre location. One simple way to do this is to better announce a driver’s approach to, or arrival at, the core of the town centre. Due to physical barriers such as the railway embankment limiting visibility to key landmarks, a driver on the ring-road may have no idea how close or far-away they are from the town centre.

Through improved signing, public realm investment and new developments, a series of attractive urban ‘gateway’s’ could be created. These would welcome visitors to the town centre, and could better intercept drivers on the key radial routes and ring-road, thus drawing them into the town centre.

The core of the town centre is relatively compact, and must become more so in order to revive its vitality. This core area, including the Abbey, Town Hall, the High Street and County Square therefore needs to develop a proper sense of place and arrival. This is connected to the previous mention of a branding and marketing exercise to give the town centre a positive and distinctive identity.

For car drivers, a key to improving their perception of Paisley is through the provision of car parking facilities. There is a need for a well-thought-out, clearly defined and coherent

parking strategy for the town centre. The future of the town’s car parks needs to be carefully considered directed and managed to optimise the performance of the car parking supply. Other factors for inclusion in the strategy should include short and long-stay balance, parking locations, signing, pricing and opening hours.

4.25

4.26

4.27

The current peripheral long and short stay surface parking should be rationalised to reduce the random and incoherent scatter of parking that presently exists across the town.

Long-stay parking should be severely cut to reduce workers driving to work in the town centre and causing peak-hour congestion. Some long-stay parking provision should be retained closer to the rail station to provide a Park and Rail facility to Glasgow. But this should be heavily charged to ultimately restrain private car use and manage demand for town centre roadspace.

of the old Arnotts quadrant on the other side of Smithhills Street. This would allow the thoughtful design of a large, bright user-friendly car park to cater for much of the town centre parking demand. Yet it would still be sufficiency close to the core town centre activities and the Piazza Centre to be attractive.

4.28

The more peripheral short-stay car parks (outside the ringroad) should be used to create small parks in the immediate term and redeveloped in the longer term. Short-stay parking supply should be heavily concentrated in locations within the town centre, in close proximity to the High Street and core area of activity.

One suggestion is to remove the dismal Piazza car park from above Central Road and to locate a new facility to the rear

4.1

One of the major problems with parking provision at present is the problematic access arrangements are compounded by the lack of clear signposting to available spaces. It is suggested that car parking provision is rationalised to four main locations in the town centre: •

the Paisley Centre multi-storey (short stay - re-named the University or West car park)

•

the Piazza multi-storey (short stay - possibly relocated to the Arnotts site - re-named the North car park)

•

around Loanend (long stay - called the South car park)

•

Moss Street (long stay - called Station parking)

•

weekend shopper spaces under Renfrewshire Council’s south building

Once this has been achieved signing to the car parks will be much simpler, as only two car parks with available spaces

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would be signed from each main approach to the town (one long stay and one short stay). The signs should contain the full new name of the designated car park and ideally be a variable message sign with real-time information indicating numbers of free spaces. This will allow drivers to be funnelled to the most appropriate car parking space, without the need to drive around searching for a space which causes congestion and driver frustration.

4.2

4.3

Car park opening hours should be reviewed in order to support the prospect of an evening leisure and entertainment economy. Safe and secure parking in the two multi-storey car parks may encourage evening visitors to the town. In addition a pricing policy should be developed to encourage short-stay and shoppers parking, but discourage the long-stay parking which leads to peak-hour congestion.

Paisley’s major retail competitor is Braehead shopping centre which provides free parking in close proximity to all of the stores. Paisley could develop a simple short-stay schedule that offers, for example, free parking for up to two hours, and £2 for two to four hours. Long-stay pricing should be optimised to balance capacity and demand with revenue generated.

However it is not only parking signing that is currently problematic. Road signs on some key radials and approaches suffer from a case of information overload with

drivers not fully able to absorb the plethora of information and select their desired destination in time. Destinations selected to go on each sign-post need to be simplified and reduced to major trip attractors, such as the town centre and abbey, nearby car parking, and some (the most relevant in terms of sign location) of the University, the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the M8/airport. Signing is also key to the strategy to create a brand for Paisley and to introduce gateways to indicate a sense of arrival in the core area.

4.4

4.5

There are a number of specific traffic management schemes which could be used to draw visitors closer to the town centre and improve town centre circulation. These include the re-opening of Smithhills Street and the eastern end of Gauze Street to general traffic to increase private vehicle penetration of the core area. In relation to this, is suggested that some one-way routes could be reversed so that Abercorn Street and the Smithhills Street bridge become one-way into town, and the Gilmour Street bridge arch becomes one-way out-of town. This would be connected to access arrangements for a new multi-storey car park on the mixed-use Arnotts site and the removal of Central Road car park.

It is also suggested that some attempts are made to simplify or clarify the functioning of the ring-road at either end of Gordon Street, and at the Gauze Street junction. These are

currently large and complicated junctions with many lanes and movements for pedestrians and vehicular traffic are often unclear. It is hoped that these could be simplified, whilst giving greater priority to pedestrians at the junctions.

4.6

Finally the use of Bridge Street and Cotton Street could be downgraded as part of the development in the area of the Council’s north building to regenerate the area to the east of the Abbey precinct. This route does provide a key alternative to the ring-road for some north-south traffic movements and may become more important if the Arnotts site is redeveloped to incorporate a new multi-storey car park.

4.7

However at present it is considered appropriate to install some traffic restraint measures on this route in the historic Abbey vicinity. This would aid pedestrian movements from the east of town and the north building redevelopment, towards the town centre. Such features could include the creation of a continuous share-use surface with flushed kerbs or traffic table arrangement. Paving, perhaps with different coloured or shade bricks, could be used to distinguish the footway from the carriageway but the level surface would create a greater balance of priority for pedestrians, vehicles and other road users. Other measures could include narrowing of the carriageway especially at the end junctions, horizontal deflections of the road (chicanes or splitter islands), and planting.

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5.

CONCLUSIONS

5.1

It is clear that there is a need for realism in all the aspirations proposed for the regeneration of Paisley town centre. The aim should be to make Paisley town centre as successful as it can reasonably be, given the external forces and pressures that it faces.

5.2

The focus should be on making Paisley Town Centre as attractive and distinctive a location as possible for a wide variety of activities. Whilst it is relatively easy to get to Paisley, it is also easy to leave and travel on to other nearby attractions. It is not possible to force people to stay in Paisley town centre once they have arrived. For example visitors arriving by in town bus may then choose to travel by train to the shops in Glasgow rather than stay in Paisley. Such forces should not be resisted, but the causes addressed by maximising the relative attractiveness of Paisley in order to retain existing custom and develop new markets.

5.3

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Image is everything. The key to the successful revitalisation of Paisley town centre is the reversal of its negative image and the creation of a positive, confident mood for the future.

Face-lifts of particularly bad structures, and a marketing campaign aligned with the creation of a town brand will raise the image of the town for both external visitors and

internal residents. Immediate impact measures such as the creation of more small park areas and the cleaning up of the river and its environs will also play a vital role in lifting the feel of the whole town.

5.4

However sustained effort will be required over a long period of time to stem the town’s overall decline. The current poor public perception of the town and its apparent problems (such as crime) can be addressed through the dissemination of more positive messages, especially through local media sources.

5.5

It is important to recognise and remember that the transport and access measures outlined in this report will have little effect on their own. Only as part of a combined package of cross-community schemes can benefits truly be accrued and the future success of Paisley’s town centre secured.

MRC McLean Hazel

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annex 6 best practice case studies 1.

SELECTING THE CASE STUDIES

1.1

The consultant team identified and documented as case studies four towns which are broadly comparable to Paisley is terms of size and type, and which have recently adopted regeneration strategies: • • • •

1.2

1.3

The regeneration strategies adopted by the four towns are best described as work in progress, and it is too early to say whether they will succeed in achieving sustainable regeneration. However, the review has confirmed that the towns selected have experienced many of the same symptoms of decline as Paisley, and that each has developed an imaginative and holistic response to the challenges identified. In each case, local and regional partners have made a substantial investment in developing regeneration strategies.

1.4

Three of the towns (Doncaster, Halifax and Scunthorpe) are participating in Yorkshire Forward’s Renaissance Towns and Cities programme, which has gained an international reputation for its innovative work in a group of towns that were previously “off the policy radar”. In some respects, Taunton is the outlier in this peer group: it is a mediumsized town with a rural hinterland, within striking distance of Bristol but not fully integrated into the city-region. However, the Taunton Vision is regarded as an exemplar urban regeneration strategy, and it has some important themes in common with Paisley.

Doncaster Halifax Scunthorpe Taunton

2.

DONCASTER

2.1

Doncaster (population 100,000) is in South Yorkshire and is one of three medium-sized towns (the others are Barnsley and Rotherham) in the Sheffield city region. Doncaster is an ancient town, but during the industrial revolution it became an important centre for coal mining and engineering. The decline of these traditional industries has had a severe impact on the community in the past 20-30 years, but Doncaster’s strategic location near the A1(M) and on the east coast main line means that the town has excellent links to London and the south east. These have helped to attract a new wave of investment to the area, mostly to out of town locations such as Lakeside and Town Moor.

2.2

The town centre still retains its medieval street pattern, and there are some notable historic buildings and townscapes.

A number of streets in the heart of the town have been pedestrianised in the past decade. The town centre offers a good range of national chain stores, but retail has been under pressure from competing local and regional locations, and floor plates were generally too small for modern requirements. A new retail development, the Interchange, will increase the stock of large floor plate units. A traditional market still attracts many visitors to the town but has been in decline.

The criteria used to select the towns were: •

broadly comparable scale: we focused on mediumsized towns with a population between 50,000 and 100,000

•

proximity to a major city: like Paisley, Doncaster and Halifax are second tier centres close to a major regional city

•

post-industrial towns: Doncaster, Halifax and Scunthorpe are towns which, like Paisley, were previously major industrial centres

•

towns that have developed innovative regeneration strategies and delivery mechanisms.

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computer rendering of Doncaster Masterplan proposals

2.3

The quality of the urban environment deteriorates sharply on the town centre fringes. The canal is a potential asset, but is isolated from the town in an area of low density, poor quality development which includes bad neighbour uses such as an abattoir, sewage works and Council depots. Much of this area is contaminated with heavy metals and petrochemicals.

The St George’s road bridge – a key link to the A1(M) - slices through this area. Also on the edge of the town centre, the 1960s Waterdale development is in terminal decline: a recent study sets out proposals to transform this area into a cultural quarter.

2.4

The Renaissance partners identified the need for large scale physical interventions, especially in edge of town centre areas. They carried out an audit of constraints on development including:

118

•

land ownerships

•

sites of archaeological interest

•

site conditions, including areas of contaminated land

•

utilities including a major water works

•

flood risks.

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Doncaster public realm proposals

2.5

The partners developed the Doncaster Renaissance Charter, which set out their shared ambitions for the town. The Charter provided the basis for a strategic vision for the town, underpinned by eight key themes: •

•

•

•

converting a section of the inner ring road into a great urban street, lined with shops and commercial buildings: the street will continue to carry high levels of traffic, but the strategy aims to make it a safe and attractive pedestrian environment reconnecting the town centre to its neglected waterways: a major urban expansion will extend urban scale, layout and functions to create a mixed use waterfront quarter in the area bounded by the canal and the River Don creating a mixed-use urban quarter: the Waterfront will be the focus for restaurants, bars and cafes as well as new office and residential develo• pment, a hotel, cultural, civic and educational facilities restoring the town’s covered market and creating a new town square: there is concern about the rapid decline of the market, and the strategy aims to reinvigorate it by extending its opening hours,

putting the emphasis on high quality locally produced food, and investing in the market buildings and improving management of the site: a business plan is being prepared; to stimulate activity around the market the partners plan to create a new town square by the Corn Exchange •

creating a hierarchy of public spaces: to complement successful pedestrianisation schemes already carried out, a system of linked public spaces will be created at Waterdale, Christ Church, St George’s Church, the new railway station, Market Square and the Waterfront

•

regeneration of the town centre’s Waterdale district as a mixed use quarter for the arts, culture and education: the strategy will rejuvenate existing cultural institutions and create new facilities

•

developing an educational city concept, including a defined education quarter in the heart of the town

•

promoting ease of movement by improving links between different modes of transport and raising public transport service standards.

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3.

HALIFAX

3.1

Halifax (85,000) is a former textile manufacturing town and one of a group of large towns, including neighbouring Huddersfield, in the Leeds-Bradford conurbation. Although the traditional industrial base of Halifax is much reduced it has a left a fine architectural legacy including the historic Piece Hall, mill complexes, splendid churches and civic buildings. The town’s dramatic setting adds to its potential and appeal even though the townscape has diminished by crude road engineering and inappropriate development.

3.2

3.3

3.4

120

The local partners identified severance caused by roads and low density development as a major problem. The core of the town has an “exemplary” layout and urban grain but the edge of the town centre is fragmented, leaving assets such as the Eureka! children’s museum and Dean Clough Mills isolated from the town centre.

part of the Halifax Renaissance proposals

Concern was expressed that an evening “drinking culture” was deterring older and younger residents from visiting the town centre outside working hours. Consultations showed that the town’s Asian (and principally Muslim) community was discouraged from visiting the town centre because bars and clubs are concentrated around some of the principal points of entry to the town.

3.5

The proposals adopted by the partners aim to make Halifax a beautiful town full of high quality and properly connected public spaces. Focusing on physical regeneration, the strategy sets out a seven point proposition:

•

enhancing the town’s unique landscape setting and making it accessible to all; the strategy combines proposals for he wider landscape setting as well as the town centre, and includes plans to: -

The two drivers of renaissance identified by the local partnership are: •

making Halifax a good place to live and work, and

•

making Halifax a good place to visit.

The strategy aims to promote social cohesion and to make the town attractive and welcoming to the whole community.

- - - •

create links between the town, countryside, villages and parks create a new generation of country parks celebrate the special history and character of Halifax re-open the Calder & Hebble Navigation

repopulating the valley bottom: the valley of the Hebble Brook was abandoned many years ago as a residential location; houses were replaced by

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Corn Market, Halifax

factories, mills and railways and the brook was culverted; the partners aim to create a small new community with 300-400 homes forming part of a high quality mixed use development which will enable the “rediscovery” of the river, Beacon Hill and the old parish church; connections to the heart of the town will be improved •

connecting Dean Clough Mill: the huge Dean Clough complex was the subject of pioneering regeneration schemes in the 1980s and 1990s and is an important employment centre and cultural venue; but the site is surrounded by major roads, creating a hostile pedestrian environment which discourages visits to and from the town centre; the proposals aim to overcome severance by winning land for development between Dean Clough and the town centre, returning Broad Street to a single carriageway and promoting active frontages

combine new development to close the gap between the town centre and inner suburbs with measures to reduce the impact of major roads •

new life for Halifax heritage aims to revive the fortunes of three iconic local buildings: the Piece Hall (subject of striking proposals by Will Alsop); Somerset House, the town’s “hidden” stately home”; and the historic Elsie Whiteley Mill

•

making the town centre a good place to walk: the balance between pedestrians and road traffic is wrong, and the approaches to the town centre have become hostile environments which discourage walking and sociability; the strategy sets out a longterm plan to create a town centre where the needs of pedestrians are paramount; this may involve radical solutions such as relocating the bus station; scaling down major roads; and creating pedestrian-only or pedestrian-first regimes in an expanded area

•

integrating West Central Halifax and People’s Park: this ethnically diverse area is also severed from the town centre by major roads, and the evidence shows that minority groups do not make full use of the centre; as for Dean Clough, the proposals will

•

showing off the town: studying opportunities to use floodlighting, lasers and annual illuminations to highlight and celebrate the special character of Halifax.

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4.

SCUNTHORPE

4.1

Scunthorpe (77,000) is a steel making town in North Lincolnshire. Unlike Paisley, Doncaster and Halifax it is not part of a major conurbation, although it is within easy striking of Hull and Grimsby. Scunthorpe is a relatively new town, which reached its reach its peak as a centre of the steel industry in the late 19th century. Employment in the steel industry has declined rapidly and further job losses are inevitable, but Corus is still the largest private sector employer.

4.2

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4.4

The Scunthorpe Declaration describes the town as an “industrial island” in an otherwise rural and agrarian setting. Because much of the town is of recent date, Scunthorpe’s architectural heritage does not match the quality of the other case study towns, but the character of the town – low density, low rise and with many parks and open spaces – is a surprise: in the late 20th century it adopted the description, an industrial garden town, which still has some validity.

4.3

structure has potential for improvement and adaptation; gateway sites and open spaces are generally disappointing and under-used.

The town centre is stretched between the retail core (which also includes some cultural assets) and the transport hub, centred on the railway station. Its relatively diffuse form is reinforced by easy vehicle access and over provision of surface parking. Nevertheless, the underlying urban

4.5

radical shift is required, a “jumping of the tracks”

The long-term decline of steel-making and the failure of the local economy to adapt and diversify means that Scunthorpe has been losing population for some time. Unemployment is low and wages are relatively high, but there is a lack of economic vitality which is feeding out-migration. Land and house prices are low. Manufacturing jobs account for twice the national average share, and there is concern about how these will be replaced if there are further plant closures or major redundancies: Scunthorpe is described as a vulnerable town.

The local partners identified the persistence of a paternalistic, single-industry culture as a brake on innovation and enterprise, and they are aware the town’s negative image and its status as a “music hall joke”.

Compared to some of the other case studies – which are strongly biased towards physical interventions – Scunthorpe has adopted a more rounded approach which has influence our approach to the Paisley study. The five elements of the vision are: •

repositioning Scunthorpe over the next 25 years: change has proved to be difficult and slow, but a

4.6

•

Scunthorpe needs to become a smart, successful, sustainable town with a diversified, high value added business base

•

making things will continue to be a key activity, but future competitive advantage will lie manufacturing excellence

•

Scunthorpe will become a more effective subregional driver for the North Lincolnshire economy

•

achieving the vision will require a strong commitment to civic engagement.

The Scunthorpe Declaration sets out a vision underpinned by seven strategic themes: •

improving competitiveness

•

creating a strong, attractive, vibrant town centre

•

coming to terms with the steel industry

•

reinvigorating and expanding the garden town framework

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part of the greening strategy for Scunthorpe

4.7

•

maximising the benefits of connectivity

•

managing image and perceptions of the town

•

increasing community engagement.

For the purposes of this review we have focused on proposals for creating a strong, attractive, vibrant town centre. The action plan identifies opportunities in four locations, linked by strategies for streets, spaces and greening. There are four key objectives: •

promoting and developing Scunthorpe as an attractive, distinctive and well-performing destination; this will involve action to diversify land use, improve the environmental quality and legibility of the town centre; develop high quality commercial space to attract inward investment; improve the retail, culture and entertainment offer; and diversify the housing offer

•

intensifying and diversifying the town centre by promoting mixed use development: mixed use developments should focus on 4 major nodes: Britannia Gateway, the area around the railway station, Plowright Theatre and Church Square paisley town centre study: a strateg y for regeneration and transformation | 123

part of the Scunthorpe Masterplan proposals

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•

improving the quality of the town centre by enhancing the public realm: the aim is to develop a series of attractive public spaces which mediate between the civic, retail, residential, commercial, cultural and leisure functions of the revived town centre; the public realm strategy should also address the currently abrupt transition between the town centre and surrounding residential districts

•

establishing a cultural quarter around Church Square, comprising a relocated museum, a refurbished library and a visual arts centre; mixed use development will help to animate the square, where a new hotel will be located; single aspect buildings will screen multi-storey car parking.

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5.

TAUNTON

5.1

Taunton, Somerset (61,000) is perhaps a less obvious comparator than the here other towns. Taunton has traditionally been seen as classic county town in a rural area, but it was also an important centre of industry and a major railway junction. In more recent times, the town has diversified and grown rapidly. It is a substantial employment centre with jobs in business services, contact centres and retail, and it is an important centre of regional and local administration. This change has been driven in part by Taunton’s easy road and rail access to Bristol: the town is not fully integrated into the city-region but the benefits of proximity are growing.

5.2

The town is popular and attractive, and the layout of the pre-industrial town is still largely intact. There is a fine medieval church at the heart of a dense network of intimate Georgian, Victorian and earlier streets. There is an array of attractive and interesting historic buildings. The fact that Taunton is some distance from a large city has helped to insulate retail to a degree from some of the competitive pressures experienced in Paisley. The picturesque county cricket ground draws large numbers, especially during the festival week. Strong demand for prime retail space underpins elements of the Taunton 2025 vision.

Taunton proposals

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Taunton proposals

5.3

5.4

5.5

126

Despite this generally positive outlook, Taunton has some conspicuous rough edges that have undermined quality of life and deterred town centre investment over many years. In particular, the river Tone is an under-utilised asset: there are some popular and attractive riverside locations, but much of the waterfront is derelict and under-used. There are a number of potentially attractive development sites close to the town centre core.

There is also a concern that developing links with Bristol will fuel demand for commuter housing without a corresponding increase in local employment. The 2025 vision aims to maintain a sustainable balance of commuting, and this drives proposals for mixed use development and employment locations in Taunton.

The 2025 vision has recently been worked up into a masterplan prepared by Terence O’Rourke architects. The plan has been exceptionally well received; it sets out a compelling vision for the town, including the recovery of under-used and brownfield sites on the fringes of the town centre. The key outputs include: •

80,000 sq m of employment space, including modern offices and a 150-bed hotel

•

50,000 sq m of retail and leisure facilities

5.6

•

2,000 new residential units (houses and apartments)

•

upgrading the cricket ground to international standard

•

a new theatre, library and cultural centre

•

a new transport interchange

•

two new river crossings

•

enhancement of 2km of the riverfront.

These outputs will be delivered by a strategy based on the following key priorities: •

the retail heart will be strengthened by the provision of 250,000 sq ft of new floorspace, complemented by a new, smaller bus station, multi-storey car parking and new apartments: the proposals aim to enhance pedestrian links in and around the High Street

•

Tangier is a transitional riverside area close to the town centre: the strategy aims to revitalise the area and strengthen links between the heart of the town and other emerging quarters; the area will accommodate student/key worker housing as well as space for small/start-up businesses

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•

•

•

•

cultural quarter: the plan identifies a site on the north bank of the Tone for a new cinema and theatre to replace the Brewhouse Theatre, which has outgrown its present site; new development will mesh with existing historic buildings and streets to form a lively, fine-grained cultural quarter; interestingly, this proposal would supersede a longstanding plan to construct an inner relief road Firepool office district: this site – largely brownfield land – will accommodate 500,000 sq feet of premium office space in a high quality town centre environment; offices will be complemented by housing, a new hotel, bars and restaurants County Ground: the master plan would facilitate proposals increase the playing area and spectator capacity of the cricket ground so that it can host international matches; new indoor facilities would provide an amenity for local residents including children

6.

6.1

CONCLUSIONS The common themes running through the four case studies are: •

the critical importance of reducing dependency on retail by diversifying and intensifying town centre activities

•

the key role of mixed use developments as a driver of change

•

capitalising on educational, cultural and historical assets

•

regenerating neglected and forgotten places such as rivers, redundant buildings and brownfield land

•

establishing a coherent, legible urban form and a hierarchy of public spaces

•

investing in public transport infrastructure and improving access to the town centre.

6.2

These themes have informed our recommended strategy for Paisley town centre. They reflect the merits of working with the market grain and of capitalising on the distinctive attributes and qualities of the place. They reflect the experience and insights of stakeholders and practitioners in comparable post-industrial towns, and in particular the fruits of Yorkshire Forward’s pioneering Renaissance Towns and Cities programme.

East-west links: the long-standing proposals for an inner-relief road are now thought to be inappropriate and intrusive; instead, the master plan incorporates a new urban street to provide access to the Firepool site; this proposal is combined with plans to promote sustainable public transport.

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