PAISLEY LOSES OUT ON TOWN CENTRE CASH

- WENDY CALLS FOR £1.8 MILLION FOR TOWN CENTRE -

Wendy Alexander today condemned Paisley Town Centre losing out again on the Town Centre Regeneration Fund monies.

Wendy said
“In the first round of bidding Paisley got half of what it asked for. In the second round it got nothing.

The plans announced by the Scottish Government last week will put Town Centre Regeneration cash in to Oldmeldrum, Macduff, Huntly, Laurenkirk, Nairn, Perth, Lerwick and many other small towns which have none of the scale of the challenges we face in Paisley.

Yet there was nothing more for Paisley. This is a disgrace at a time when Burger King, Millets, the Co-op in the West End and other well known retailers have announced they are leaving.

It was bad enough in the summer when Paisley came ninth in the bids for cash after the likes of Alloa, Dumfries and suburbs of Edinburgh. It is a disgrace to have been cut out entirely from the Round 2 funds from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

The Scottish Government seems to have forgotten that Paisley is Scotland’s largest and most venerable town. In the run up to the busy Christmas season it is a kick in the teeth to all those local retailers who are striving to draw customers into the town when on the very of eve of Santa’s arrival the town’s bid was knocked  back.

In June the Council announced £92 million on spending in Renfrewshire’s infrastructure. Beyond a feasibility study about the future of the Town Hall and plans for the Lagoon, Paisley Town Centre got none of that £92 million. It is time for the Council to restore the £1.8 needed – to complete vitally needed projects the Scottish Government won’t fund.

For £1.8 million the Council could get on with much needed projects like the conversion of the Littlewoods store, shop front improvements to vacant units, road improvements at Gordon Street, and plans to build an Events Shelter at County Square.

They should act now.