Pod proposal proves puzzler
Community council wants answers
Moves by Stirling Council to spend more than £300,000 on regeneration projects in the Top of the Town are not running smoothly.
The authority thought they had agreement from the community on where the cash would be directed.
Some of it was earmarked for improvements to lighting and streetscapes, and there was a proposal for “semi-permanent, branded market pods” for use with events planned over the next 12 months.
However, at a meeting on Thursday of Mercat Cross and City Centre Community Council, it was suggested some of the work had not been agreed and did not accord with the demands of people in the area
The comments were made after Stirling councillor for Castle Ward Jim Thomson asked council officials last month if there was agreement with the community on the regeneration proposals.
Officials said a draft priority list of projects had been agreed with the community council , and money on the work was due to be spent before the end of the financial year.
Apart from the pods, money was to be directed towards:
•Initial design work and community consultation on the possible opening of the steps between Darnley Street and Princes Street.
•Improvements to pavements and lights in Broad Street and Darnley Street. •New lighting in Baker Street. •Identification of land and consultation with residents on the possible introduction of new play area on communal grassland in Cowane Street. Regeneration of the Top of the Town is an objective of the City Deal.
All but three of the community councillors involved in discussion on the projects resigned last year.
One of the three that remains, chairman Sara MacMillan accepted the proposals regarding Darnley StreetPrincess Street steps and play area had been driven by the some members of the community, although both required further consultation with residents.
And a number of residents in Princess Street fear the re-opening of the steps will lead to a a recurrence of incidents of antisocial behaviour.
She said: “Regarding the streetscape work, I have gone back and looked at the information on the original list of projects and streetscape work is not referenced in the list of things we were asking for.
“Broad Street was highlighted in (information) in August but it doesn’t mention pavement work, and the (streetscape, landscaping and lighting) work in Darnley Street came out of the blue in the latest variation of the list.”
She added: “The fact is it’s general maintenance and upgrade work that would have been done in the course of annual capital spending but it has been dressed up as a community-required programme of work which has been subject to community consultation.”
Community councillors were told the pods could cost as much as £40,000 and were based on structures successfully used in the German city of Munich.
Community councillor Andrew Szwebs and David Kinnaird, of Stirling Ghostwalks said they needed more information about the pods.
“We need to know where they will go, what they will look like and what will be their impact on businesses around them. So far there have not had responses to any of those questions,” added Mr Kinnaird.
Mr Szwebs said: “It sounds to me as if the council is spending money on a pet project they already had lined up and they are paying us lip service. The council needs to respond to the community council and residents and listen to what people are saying.”
Ms MacMillan was not aware of any support in the community for the pods.
“If we had a social need these pods could meet then that need could be met through use of a vacant property in the area,” she added.
Community councillors will be seeking more information about the pods and the programme of events for which their use is planned.
Ms MacMillan said members of the community council would be getting together before their next meeting in February to frame a list of questions about the regeneration proposals. “Hopefully, we can come to a consensus that will enable to say what we think should happen.” she added.
A council spokesman said: “Throughout the planning stages of this programme we have had a series of discussions with the community council, business owners and residents in the area, which have formed part of a wide scale consultation process.
“We held workshops in August last year to find out what the community’s priority projects were, and in December an update on the four prioritised projects was sent to the community council for comment. We are committed to continuing to work with everyone in the community and our officers will contact the community council this week.”