Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Vision for well connected town
The vision for Airdrie is to honour its “market town” roots and to build around its infrastructure to create “one of the best connected settlements in North Lanarkshire”.
Suggestions in the recently-published vision indicate a town centre with a mixture of retail and residential developments, a transport interchange based around the existing railway station, and active travel “greenlinks” to its major new multi-use education and community hub.
Council officials told earlier this year how the planned Airdrie hub – incorporating primary and secondary education and community facilities ranging from healthcare, employment and services for older adults to sport, retail, and transport – will be based around St Margaret’s High, as the town’s only secondary not to have been remodelled or replaced in the past 25 years.
Now a decade- long timeline for the town outlines developing action plans over the next two-and-a-half years, followed by constructing town-centre residential developments in two phases over four years from 2024, and station plaza and public realm works in 2027 and 2028.
Development work could get under way this year on the earliest stages of the town hub and the active travel and green network, with both scheduled to continue right through until 2029.
Ambitions contained in the new vision are to create “community and town hubs, [a] vibrant, active centre [and] new homes, new jobs, new sense of place”.
The outline plans state: “With its improved access and connections, Airdrie offers excellent opportunities for towncentre living.
“Its historic centre with sensitive urban infill and building conversions will provide a range of homes meeting a wide range of local needs, with good access to services and an attractive town-centre environment.
“The new health centre and town hub will support an active community, and stronger public transport connections will support Airdrie’s growth as a residential centre.
“Airdrie’s changing infrastructure, and road and rail connections, will make the town an easier place to live in, work in, and visit – stronger access to regional services, employment and leisure facilities will allow Airdrie to take advantage of its location and place appeal as an important hub in North Lanarkshire.
“The outcomes for the community will be a centre which is more attractive, safer and easier to get around, that offers wider choices meeting diverse and local needs; public transport connections that support the community alongside new homes will drive additional demand for services and sustain a more vibrant and active centre.”
It adds: “A more accessible and attractive centre built around its ‘market town’ qualities will attract new homes and new investment celebrating the town’s heritage, character, scale and connectivity.
“New transport connections created by rail, road and the green network make Airdrie an easy, accessible place to move around.
“The new town hubs and health centre investments support liveability, health and wellbeing and learning, and create a cluster of quality, modern services to address local needs.”