After announcing the projects to members of the Policy and Strategy Committee last week, North Lanarkshire Council has now provided more details of the developments proposed for each area.

The five-year regeneration proposals will reshape town centres into dynamic multi-use spaces, develop business and retail opportunities, improve housing and schools, develop local and community hubs, enhance local services and leisure and green spaces.

Councillor Jim Logue, leader of North Lanarkshire Council, said: “Over the next five years, we are investing £1.25bn in creating town and community hubs, in our country parks, and in essential infrastructure and housing to help create a sustainable future for town centres that will benefit people and communities across North Lanarkshire.

“The draft visions for our town centres bring a tangible reality to the outline concepts and these will be developed with our communities, for our communities, so that we are creating vibrant, safe, resilient places where people are supported at all stages of their life and businesses can thrive.”

In Cumbernauld, 123 new council houses have been built over the past ten years – including at North Road, Westfield Drive, Cardowan Drive, Brown Road and Cedar Road Nursery. While in Kilsyth 30 new houses have been constructed at Fisher Avenue.

And a further 83 new homes are in the pipeline. 75 new council houses as part of the Community Growth area and eight on the site of the former Cumbernauld Primary School.

The town has benefited from the construction of seven new schools and family learning centre including, most recently, Greenfaulds High School and the Cumbernauld Academy and Cumbernauld Theatre campus.

Work is already underway on the new Cumbernauld Village Family Learning Centre and a on feasibility project to create a new community hub for the people of Abronhill.

Potential development opportunities for Cumbernauld include:

• Developing a Pilot for Low-2-Zero carbon living
• Develop a new Town Hub
• Re-structure the Town Centre on a stronger more compact Mixed-Use Model
• Integrate within the Centre – Learning -Health and Leisure activity
• Develop a grid of streets, squares and spaces and connected paths and cycleways
• Connect Town Centre activity and services with new and existing housing
• Develop a new Town Square and Civic Event space.

In Kilsyth, the Stepping Stones Family Learning Centre, St Patrick’s Primary School and Family Learning Centre have been built in recent years.

Improved active travel links have seen the creation of a new green cycle/walkway linking Abronhill with Cumbernauld town centre.

There have also been improvements to commercial business space at the Muirfield Centre.

Potential development opportunities for Kilsyth include:

• Developing a new Town Hub with associated facilities and community services
• Connecting the Town Centre and strengthening links to the Glasgow-Stirling road (A803)
• Developing a northern Gateway to raise the town’s profile as a historic Burgh
• Developing stronger links, routes and opportunities for active travel (e-bikes) to the area’s attractions
• Developing Kilsyth as a great place to live
• Develop a new Town Square at Main Street North.

To date in Airdrie, 77 new council homes have been completed, construction has started on 197 homes, planning approval has been granted for a further 21 and development plans are underway at four sites with 125 homes planned.

Since 2009, seven primary schools have been completed and two family learning centres. Work is planned or underway on six key projects in Airdrie, which will bring new homes and commercial space into the town centre; these are at Broomknoll Street Church, Mill Loan, the former Orrs building, Buchanan/Hallcraig Street, Graham Street and Airdrie Town House.

In Airdrie, there are plans to:

• Develop a new town hub
• Strengthen the Links with the station and transport interchange
• Support a liveable town centre with new, affordable town centre living
• Develop new connected green links.

In Coatbridge, 84 new council homes have been completed, work has started on 58 homes, planning permission has been granted for 19 more, and development plans are underway at two sites for 106 new properties.

Since 2011, one primary, one secondary school and one family learning centre have been completed with work progressing to create a new community hub at Carnbroe/Sikeside.

Two prominent buildings in Coatbridge – the former tax office and Carnegie Library - have been transformed into housing while plans are progressing well to convert the former council building on Kildonan Street into social rented housing, office space and new build homes. Plans are also being developed for housing at the former Sharksmouth pub on Banks Street and a fire damaged building on Main Street.

In Coatbridge, the plans aim to adapt and strengthen the future role of the town centre based on its connections, quality of place, and opportunities for re-investment as a place to live and work.

This will involve:

• Developing a new town hub
• Re-structuring the town centre on a stronger more compact mixed-use model
• Developing the green network and active travel routes and connections
• Re-vitalising the centre with extensive new mixed tenure housing
• Integration within the centre – living, learning - health and leisure activity
• Creating a new town centre gateway park
• Developing an enhanced town square and civic event space.

In Shotts, the council has built new council homes on the site of the former Harthill Primary School. It has delivered new educational establishments for the local area including: Alexander Peden Primary School, Shotts Family Learning Centre and Calderhead High School. Greenspace improvements and investment work at the local nature reserve in Kingshill have seen the delivery of a key path improvement project with volunteers.

The vision for Shotts is to create a new sense of place built around a new town centre that is a focus for the community and the delivery of services to all the neighbourhoods, including outlying smaller centres and villages. The core opportunities involve:

• Developing a new mixed use town centre,
• Celebrating the town’s heritage and industrial past,
• Connecting the school, health and leisure facilities,
• Developing the green network, and
• Strengthening the community and Shotts as a great place to live.

For Wishaw, the vacant site at the former Cambusnethan Primary School is now a council housing development with 20 homes. The council has built another 20 homes in Walkerburn Drive, Coltness and purchased 11 ‘off the shelf’ homes directly from the developer, Keepmoat, at Ravenscraig. The council is now on site at Dimsdale, Wishaw and progressing plans for Gowkthrapple, (phase 1) for delivering 97 new homes. This site forms part of its plans to demolish tower blocks and replace these with new, modern homes that meet the needs of tenants.

As part of the council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan, new projects are being delivered by the council and housing associations. Twenty new homes, at the site of the former Wishaw market, East Academy Street, have been built by Link Housing Association. The council is delivering 16 affordable homes in Robert Street, Wishaw, and due for completion next year are 42 new homes at the former Tesco site on Main Street by Trust Housing Association.

Other town centre projects being progressed include the acquisition and future demolition of an outdated office facility and car park in King Street, for new town centre homes. Design development is underway at Graham Street, Wishaw, for 18 homes and the council is progressing the acquisition of a derelict church on Caledonian Road, to support the regeneration of a key gateway site in the town centre.

A number of new schools and educational centres have been delivered in the Wishaw Area: Cambusnethan PS, St. Ignatius PS, Wishaw Academy, Coltness HS, Calderbridge PS, Clyde Valley HS and Orchard PS, Netherton Family Learning Centre, Abernethyn Family Learning Centre and Innerleithen PS. Newmains and St Brigids Community Hub is now on site and expected for completion next year.

The council is also delivering a new Community Hub in Newmains, the design of which will help bring benefits to whole communities. It is currently assessing the feasibility for Wishaw Town Hub, details of which will be brought forward to future committee and for consultation.

The town hubs and smaller, complementary community hubs will provide a range of services including education, leisure, public services, commercial opportunities and flexible workspaces, bringing communities closer in one central space. Individual Town Action Plans will be developed through future Community Boards, which will also review final town visions and investment priorities for each town.

The town vision for Wishaw is an enterprising well-connected town. Wishaw will build on this quality of place creating a new compact and liveable centre that connects The Cross, the Health Centre, the Rail Station and a new Community Hub and green network. The vision will be built around ‘town liveability’ strengthening Wishaw’s place quality and supporting community wealth and civic value within an enterprising and inclusive economy. The core opportunities involve:

• Developing a new Town Centre Hub co-located alongside the town centre,
• Focussing the town centre around The Cross, the Kirk Road and connections to the rail station,
• Strengthening the green network, active travel and connections to Clyde and Calder Valleys, and
• Promoting ‘lifestyle appeal’ based on the town’s community assets.

In Motherwell, the investment will include plans to:

• Build a £1m velo park at the Bellshill entrance to Strathclyde Country Park
• Create a heritage and lagoon area, new outdoor centre and play areas in the Country Park
• Development of town and community hubs
• Redeveloped of the town centre incorporating a new town square and transport interchange
• Connect the town centre retail core and encourage new housing
• Refurbishment of Braidhurst industrial estate
• Greenspace restoration and improvements at Dalziel Estate
• Demolition of Allan, Draffen and Coursington Towers to make way for new council housing developments.

The town hubs and smaller, complementary community hubs will provide a range of services including education, leisure, public services, commercial opportunities and flexible work spaces, bringing communities closer in one central space. Individual Town Action Plans will be developed through future Community Boards, which will also review final town visions and investment priorities for each town.

Potential development opportunities for Motherwell include:

• Develop Town & Community Hubs
• Develop a new Transport Interchange
• Connect the Town Centre retail core and encourage new housing
• Strengthen the links to Ravenscraig and residential communities
• Develop a new Town Square and Civic Event space
• Develop improved links to Strathclyde Country Park.

Bellshill needs to continue to adapt and strengthen its role as a liveable mixed-use centre that can offer good homes, good local services and quality local jobs all within a 30 min walk or a 15 min cycle of the centre.

The core projects involve:

• Developing a new Town Hub co-located alongside the Town Centre
• Focusing the Town Centre around Main Street and the Town Hub
• Building on local Green Network, Active Travel routes
• Promoting ‘lifestyle appeal’ based on a mixed-use centre
• Investing in Town Centre living with affordable homes for all.