Got this email today:
RESULTS OF SHAWLANDS TOWN CENTRE SURVEY PUBLISHED
Glasgow City Council last year carried out a major public consultation asking people who use Shawlands Town Centre for their thoughts on how the area could be improved. The findings of this consultation - which generated 1240 responses - have just been published.
To gather as many opinions as possible, from May to September 2009, the Council circulated full length and short questionnaires, distributing online, by hand and through public buildings.
The full survey revealed that people’s priorities for improving the Town Centre were: tackling the issue of vacant shops (the top priority); brightening the centre; safety and security; improving pedestrian movement across roads; more evening activities; better leisure facilities; regular events; and public toilets.
Whilst customers generally liked the buzz of the centre and its café and restaurant culture, they didn’t like the associated anti-social behaviour. Many also felt they needed a stronger reason to visit, such as an anchor store and more shops which sold gifts and household goods. The report also details the type of facilities they have in mind such as sports, craft, book and music shops along with bigger high street names and a local market.
The short questionnaire allowed people to provide more anecdotal information and their general thoughts on Shawlands Town Centre. As a result, its findings were particularly revealing.
The short questionnaire illustrated that the things people liked most about Shawlands were: its bars, restaurants, niche and specialist shops, buzz and vitality, parks and quality housing. They also liked its convenient location, good public transport connections and its cheap shops which were considered as more affordable than the West End. Many people also confirmed the centre had great potential for attracting customers from a wider area if it could provide the right retail offering, public realm and ambience.
In terms of dislikes, customers felt the Arcade and general vacancy to be a key problem, with too many pubs, estate agents and charity shops. Customers highlighted the lack of facilities for young children, arts or gallery spaces. They felt the centre was congested, and there was a lack of a ‘civic space’ and too much clutter and unnecessary dumping on the streets. Respondents also thought some shop fronts were poorly presented and this gave the centre a down-market cheap rather than quality feel. Like the full survey, customers were also concerned about the threat of anti-social behaviour at night.
Customers were then invited to tell the Council what they would do about things if they were put in charge and had the money to put things right.
Faced with this challenge, the customers then came up with a wide range of suggestions about how they would like to improve Shawlands Town Centre. Their ideas included: filling the retail gap with small niche, quality shops mixed with premium high street brands; regenerate the Arcade and provide a premium anchor store; develop a specific attraction, such as a market, to bring people from a wider area; provide more public spaces and better connections; improve shop fronts; more greenery, trees and floral displays; better public realm; and more help for businesses in the centre.
The Council intend to consider the survey findings and prepare an Action Plan for the Town Centre over the summer.
Councillor Archie Graham, chair of the Shawlands Town Centre Steering Group, said: “Shawlands Town Centre is one of the busiest areas in the city for shoppers and those enjoying pubs, clubs and restaurants. This survey can help point the way forward for the Action Plan for the continued development of the centre, and I am delighted by the response to this survey, proving the high level of interest people have in the future of the area.”
Those who would like a copy of the report or wish to tell the Council what they think of the findings, should phone 0141 287 6094 / 6097, email
[email protected] or send postal correspondence to Shawlands Survey, DRS, Glasgow City Council, FREEPOST SC05293 Glasgow G2 1BR.