BBC broadcast from Regent Centre
Advertiser report alerts Beeb to town’s issues
The future of Hamilton’s town centre was debated live on air last Friday morning.
BBC Radio Scotland broadcast the Stephen Jardine Programme from the Regent Centre as the show focused on the future of Scotland’s high streets and the challenges they face during Christmas trading.
The producers made the decision to broadcast the show from Hamilton after the Advertiser revealed earlier this year, in a special investigation, that the town had 45 empty business units.
And our report also prompted MSP Christina Mckelvie and MP Angela Crawley to launch a public consultation on the future of Hamilton town centre, which received more than 1800 responses.
The BBC invited the Advertiser along to be part of the panel which included: Simon Forsyth, business owner and ambassador for Small Business Saturday; Colin Borland, from the Federation of Small Businesses; Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse MSP, Christina Mckelvie; and Mark Calpin, general manager of the town’s Holiday Inn Express and a board member of Hamilton Business Improvement District. Shoppers also took part in the discussion live on air.
Ms Mckelvie said: “Any opportunity I get to talk up Hamilton, I take with both hands. We, collectively, have taken our Hamilton town centre action plan to a national platform.
“I was thrilled that the rest of Scotland were able to hear what progressive steps we are taking to revitalise our town centre.
“The potential of Hamilton really is endless. I look forward to working positively with all interested parties who have the best interests of the town centre at heart.”
Stephen Hollywood, senior content producer for morning programmes with BBC Scotland, said: “We were in the Regent Shopping Centre in Hamilton taking a look at the state of Scottish high streets.
“Although we focused on local issues, those same challenges will be repeated and reflected in towns all across Scotland. As it was the start of the run-up to Christmas, we were particularly keen to find out if people preferred hitting the high street or doing their shopping online, and we got a great range of opinions from the shoppers on Friday morning.”
Hamilton Advertiser editor Robert Mitchell said: “On the back of our investigation it was good to see BBC Radio Scotland bring interested parties together to see what can be done to revitalise high streets across Scotland, and indeed here in Hamilton.”