More should be done to halt decline of town centres across Scotland, say MSPs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Measures brought in by the Scottish Government to tackle derelict buildings have been “insufficient” according to MSPs looking into the long-term decline of town centres.The Economy and Fair Work Committee published a report on Tuesday calling for action to halt declining town centres across Scotland.While local authorities do have powers to tackle derelict buildings, there can often be a “reluctance” to enforce actions due to a lack of resources.

The report said: “The committee is of the view that the Scottish Government’s actions may be insufficient and that more may need to be done to address this problem.”Planning rules should be reformed to ensure no new developments unfairly compete with town centre provision.

A rebalancing of the cost of doing business to make town centres more competitive including possible changes to non-domestic rates is also needed to support investment in town centres.The committee has called on every town in Scotland to have their own plan and a long-term strategic vision for the future, recognising their histories and the community that brings them together.

Members visited towns such as Dumfries and Burntisland in Fife throughout their research.Claire Baker MSP, convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee said: “This report should signal a line in the sand for how we support, develop and prioritise investment in our town centres.