TALKING POLITICS Cash injection will help plans

Amidst the national publicity over health concerns at St Ambrose High, I asked for placing request figures for each year from 2012-2019, inclusive, for those seeking a place at the school; it was reassuring to discover it’s an ever-increasing pattern.

We all now look forward to the Scottish Government’s independent findings by the start of the new term; our school communities need our support.

In March, the Scottish Government gave North Lanarkshire Council £3.25 million from the £ 50 million Scottish Government Town Centres Fund – the third highest grant to any local authority; with the cash to be spent, or committed, by August 2020.

The council has also submitted bids for the Scottish Government Regeneration Fund.

North Lanarkshire has already won £7.4 million from this source over the past six years; among the projects to be supported are the Glenboig Life Centre.

Drumpellier Business Park will also benefit from a further £2.1 million from Holyrood funding, shared with another project.

With this cash injection, the council’s economic regeneration plans are to be finalised by August. One key priority is “town centre living” and vibrant, mixeduse hubs.

Consultants will develop their plans for the future of North Lanarkshire’s town centres, with draft proposals set to be ready for community consultations in November.

The Scottish Government’s town centre policies aim for thriving evening economies and leisure use.

North Lanarkshire has a focus on “living towns”; getting houses back into town centres to enliven them.

The council will build new housing and convert and refurbish existing buildings for homes.

There is a focus on sites like 1-5 Bank Street and the part-derelict site on Main Street, Coatbridge.

Affordable housing projects are at various stages of development for the Orrs building and Broomknoll Street church in Airdrie and Muiryhall Street, the former tax office site, in Coatbridge.

The council’s housing service buys up houses – on the open market and empty homes.

The bulk of homes bought are former council houses. Often this can make the council the prime, majority owner on a four- in- a- block site and allow modernisation schemes to go ahead for the whole block.

Buying long-term empty properties removes blights from many local communities.

During the financial year 2018-19, 130 such properties were bought up – 67 of which were found across Airdrie and Coatbridge.

The total purchase costs were £13.2 million; £ 3.7 million of this money – 28 per cent – came from the Scottish Government.

All change Council redevelopment plans include proposals to tear down all 17 high-rise flats in Airdrie and Coatbridge, including Airdrie’s Milton Court (pictured), over the next 18 years to regenerate the town centres and provide “better homes”