logo
Grangemouth community demand 'less consulting, more action' from Falkirk Council

Grangemouth community demand 'less consulting, more action' from Falkirk Council

Daily Record20-06-2025
The draft of a new masterplan for Grangemouth will now go to public consultation but the public want to see changes soon
Falkirk Council chiefs say they have heard 'loud and clear' that people in Grangemouth want them to 'stop consulting and start doing'.
Members of Falkirk Council's executive agreed this week to launch a consultation on a new 'spatial vision and masterplan' that they hope will guide the transformation of the town over the next 20 years.

Officers say the plan has been developed to tackle some of the key challenges currently affecting local residents, such as the closure of shops and businesses and a lack of high quality, family housing.

But councillors made clear that Grangemouth cannot wait for change and that they want to see 'shovels in the ground' as soon as possible.
Falkirk Council's head of growth, Michael McGuinness, told the meeting that he recognised that there have been a number of consultation exercises with the community in the last few years.
"In engaging with our community, the feedback we've had is 'stop consulting, start doing'," he said.

"They want to see changes happening in Grangemouth - that's a real concern."
But Mr McGuinness said he believes that the draft plan they are now consulting on "will give us a really strong blueprint for allowing that change to happen".
The main aims are:

Make the town centre easier to walk and cycle around by improving paths and connections.
Develop new housing in and around the town centre to bring more people into the area.
Attract new businesses by offering better spaces and supporting mixed-use developments.
Improve public spaces with more green areas, seating, and landscaping.
As the industry in Grangemouth begins to transition away from fossil fuel-led businesses, the hope is that local people will start to see some of the benefits from an array of investment programmes, strategies and policies that have been introduced.
Officers say that a masterplan is vital to pull together and oversee all of the changes that will inevitably affect the town over the next few years.

But councillors questioned officers on the value of another consultation - which will cost £70,000.
Director of Place Services, Malcolm Bennie, said the document would be crucial to attract funding for the ambitious plans that are being laid and make sure that everything happens "in a considered, planned way".
Conservative councillor James Bundy asked how long it would take to see "shovels in the ground", once the final version of the document is ready.

Mr McGuinness said that some projects are already ready to get underway as part of the Greener Grangemouth programme, which has funding from UK and Scottish Governments through the area's Growth Deal.
"This masterplan leads directly to that so we'd expect to see some shovels in the ground next year but what scale is still to be determined."
But Mr McGuinness did admit that masterplans were essentially a longterm commitment that can take "decades" to come to fruition and that funding will be a significant factor.

"Our objective is to accelerate that as much as possible and bring forward as much investment into the town centre as we possibly can," he said.
"This gives us a tremendous blueprint to do that."
Councillors agreed that officers should progress with engagement on the draft masterplan.
Once complete, the executive will be asked to approve the final version of the masterplan.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Popular café in Borders town to close for good
Popular café in Borders town to close for good

The Herald Scotland

timean hour ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Popular café in Borders town to close for good

A spokesperson for the outlet said: 'The past three years have been such a great experience, we are so grateful for every single person who supported us from family, staff, customers and people even beyond the borders. 'We are ready to start our next adventure down in Norwich and though this won't be running a café we are excited to see what it will bring. 'Some may say we are stupid for closing the bakery as it's the busiest and best it has ever been but the decision hasn't come down to finances or foot fall, it comes down to wanting to spend more time with family and dogs. READ MORE: Why the case for a 'Scottish visa' just got stronger Scotch whisky chief pays price as global turmoil hits industry Major business survey reveals 'standout' view on 'Scottish visa' "Wanting to enjoy more of life and have the spare time to do that.' Now, A merger is on the agenda with plans to knock through a wall to connect the café units at 45 and 46 Bank Street. The applicant is seeking a building warrant from Scottish Borders Council for a 1.8 meter wide opening in the internal wall between Zola's Bakery and The Coffee Tree. The landlord of the property, Kenneth McEwan, has endorsed the partition plan on the condition that it is reinstated at the end of the tenancy. Applicant James Dewar, who established The Coffee Tree five years ago, said the opening will allow free customer movement between spaces, increasing seating capacity and overall usability. Mr Dewar is awaiting a structural report before submitting an application for a building warrant. He said: 'We're 100 per cent going ahead. It will boost us from 22 covers to 48 and will make a massive difference. 'We'll have a bit more access for the elderly to get wheelchairs in and also put in a book shelf too for a community corner and upgrading the kitchen.'

Donald Trump announces ‘biggest of all deals' between US and EU after crunch tariff talks at Scots golf resort
Donald Trump announces ‘biggest of all deals' between US and EU after crunch tariff talks at Scots golf resort

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Donald Trump announces ‘biggest of all deals' between US and EU after crunch tariff talks at Scots golf resort

A high-profile security operation remains in full swing, with police and military on patrol in the grounds of Turnberry DON DEAL Donald Trump announces 'biggest of all deals' between US and EU after crunch tariff talks at Scots golf resort Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD Trump has struck a trade deal with the European Union during his visit to Scotland. The US President made the deal as he sat down with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen this afternoon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Donald Trump has struck a trade deal with the European Union 4 Trump waves to the press as he tees off on Sunday for his second round at Turnberry Credit: Reuters 4 The President is being protected by a huge security operation Credit: Getty 4 Hundreds of protesters gathered in cities across Scotland on Saturday Credit: Alan Simpson The agreement sets the US tariffs on goods at 15% across the board. He said the EU will make $600bn in US investments, will buy $150bn in US energy and will purchase US military equipment. Speaking to reporters at his golf resort in Turnberry, Mr Tump said:"We have reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody, "It's going to bring us closer together... it's a partnership in a sense." EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also hailed it as a "huge deal", which came after "tough negotiations". It comes before the American leader is set to be pushed by Sir Keir Starmer on how to end the starvation of kids in Gaza. Earlier today Mr Trump teed off on his second round in Turnberry after landing on Friday night, accompanied by a massive security team. The US President landed in Scotland in a party mood after revealing his plans for a trade deal celebration with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney. Mr Trump said: "We're going to do a little celebrating because we get along very well." He was welcomed by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray before being whisked to his luxury Turnberry resort 20 miles down the Ayrshire coast. He declared: "There's no place like Turnberry. It's the best course in the world."

Superyacht owned by Russian billionaire docks in Greenock
Superyacht owned by Russian billionaire docks in Greenock

The Herald Scotland

timean hour ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Superyacht owned by Russian billionaire docks in Greenock

The luxury vessel belongs to billionaire businessman Oleg Tinkov, the founder and former owner of Russia's largest online bank Tinkoff. The yacht is powered by a Caterpillar engine and has a maximum speed of 17 knots. Read more: Billionaire's £240 million superyacht spotted on loch Family sells longstanding Scottish yacht charter firm She cruises at around 14 knots and has a range of 3000 nautical miles, with a steel hull that makes her ideal for ice-breaking. According to media reports, La Datcha offers first class luxury with a top deck jacuzzi and a fully equipped gym and it is also equipped with lots of exploration equipment, including two helicopters, a submersible and snow scooters. It has boasts a water slide and waverunners. The vessel was built by the Dutch based Damen and she was launched in 2020.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store