15/8/2008What can be done to keep people in Dalry and make the town thrive?
The schools are open and with the holiday season drawing to a close, attention turns again to the state of the town. In a recent online debate here on s1dalry, a local resident was concerned about people selling their homes and leaving permanently. But he also felt that funds allocated by North Ayrshire Council for town centre regeneration presented an opportunity to enhance what we have. Do you agree with the following comments?
It is people that make a town.
But when people are compelled to avoid the place they live in because they feel it is unattractive, dirty, congested or lacking in services - they will move away. Or choose never to come here in the first place.
How many houses are up for sale in Dalry just now? There are well over 100. Even despite the credit crunch, there are around 20 for sale in one newly built housing estate alone. 20 houses out of 95. That housing estate contains a lot of families. Are we to really believe that they are hoping to move into smaller houses elsewhere within Dalry? Hardly.
Their loss to another town or village (if they ever get their houses sold) represent a loss of confidence in the place they chose to live in.
So let us not have debates of the "whether to build a bypass" variety. If we would like to improve the town, let us continue to campaign for such a road to be built. Let us also support our local shops, when we can, and campaign for a more speedy re-opening of the library.
And also:
Resources have been allocated by North Ayrshire Council for a package of "town centre regeneration." £300,000 to be exact. The first phase of this will be aimed at traders in the town centre. Grants will be available for shopfront improvements over a 1 year period.
This is an opportunity to restore shopfronts. To make them more sensitive to the architecture of the buildings by removing badly designed signs and roller shutters. To reflect that the town centre was designated as a conservation area in 2006. This is a positive decision by the Council but it depends on shopkeepers and other businesses to obtain a grant. Provided they come up with a suitable proposal, they will be able to obtain one.
The remaining funds are likely to be spent on other works to enhance the environment, including better street lighting and new landscaping - although it is understood that an extension to a car park is also envisaged.
Traffic management proposals also figure in these plans, although to what extent this will be beneficial remains to be seen. You could end up with an engineer's solution to move traffic around but in the process destroying what you were trying to improve in the first place. - Comments by Keep it Real
Where do you stand in the debate about what Dalry needs to survive and thrive? Just click the Comment button and let your voice be heard!
It is people that make a town.
But when people are compelled to avoid the place they live in because they feel it is unattractive, dirty, congested or lacking in services - they will move away. Or choose never to come here in the first place.
How many houses are up for sale in Dalry just now? There are well over 100. Even despite the credit crunch, there are around 20 for sale in one newly built housing estate alone. 20 houses out of 95. That housing estate contains a lot of families. Are we to really believe that they are hoping to move into smaller houses elsewhere within Dalry? Hardly.
Their loss to another town or village (if they ever get their houses sold) represent a loss of confidence in the place they chose to live in.
So let us not have debates of the "whether to build a bypass" variety. If we would like to improve the town, let us continue to campaign for such a road to be built. Let us also support our local shops, when we can, and campaign for a more speedy re-opening of the library.
And also:
Resources have been allocated by North Ayrshire Council for a package of "town centre regeneration." £300,000 to be exact. The first phase of this will be aimed at traders in the town centre. Grants will be available for shopfront improvements over a 1 year period.
This is an opportunity to restore shopfronts. To make them more sensitive to the architecture of the buildings by removing badly designed signs and roller shutters. To reflect that the town centre was designated as a conservation area in 2006. This is a positive decision by the Council but it depends on shopkeepers and other businesses to obtain a grant. Provided they come up with a suitable proposal, they will be able to obtain one.
The remaining funds are likely to be spent on other works to enhance the environment, including better street lighting and new landscaping - although it is understood that an extension to a car park is also envisaged.
Traffic management proposals also figure in these plans, although to what extent this will be beneficial remains to be seen. You could end up with an engineer's solution to move traffic around but in the process destroying what you were trying to improve in the first place. - Comments by Keep it Real
Where do you stand in the debate about what Dalry needs to survive and thrive? Just click the Comment button and let your voice be heard!