MSPs hail community action and vision in Dumfries
The community drive being embraced to shape a stronger future for Dumfries has been praised in a new report by MSPs.
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee visited the town earlier this year as part of their inquiry into retail and town centres.
They were shown around Midsteeple Quarter as well as meeting representatives of various businesses and organisations working to breathe new life into the area.
A delegation of cross-party politicians saw and heard about some of the regeneration work underway, ambitious plans being developed and pursued, as well as the challenges that exist in turning them into reality.
The inquiry concluded that Scotland's planning system needs to be strengthened to ensure no new developments unfairly compete with town centre provision. Taxation was also discussed including potential reforms around non-domestic rates and VAT.
Transparency of ownership and powers to tackle derelict or dangerous buildings also need further action, MSPs said.
With the support of townsfolk, the community benefit society Midsteeple Quarter has taken five buildings in Dumfries High Street into community ownership as part of an ambitious vision to regenerate the High Street.
In their report, MSPs said of their Dumfries visit: “The key messages from this visit were the recognition of the need for a grassroots-up approach, that ownership matters, particularly ownership by those with a stake in the town centre, the importance of housing, and the financial barriers and higher costs when developing town centre sites.
“The town has tried to refocus its footprint, but a common purpose and community drive to shape the town has been a lesson others can learn from.”
Midsteeple Quarter Executive Director Scott Mackay welcomed recognition for the work taking place in Dumfries.
He said: “We are delighted that the things MSPs saw and heard during their visit to the town has positively influenced the inquiry report. The findings are useful. They highlight both the opportunities that exist and the challenges that need to be overcome, including those around non-domestic rates which we raised concerns about.
“Through Midsteeeple Quarter and other initiatives, the people of Dumfries are showing what can be achieved when the community unites to take the steps needed to secure a better future.
“Absentee landlords are a huge issue throughout the country. We believe that, by taking buildings into community ownership, we can put the best interests of residents first, creating a stronger, more sustainable town centre.
“We have a huge amount we hope to achieve for our community, but are pleased at the national recognition of what the people of Dumfries have achieved so far.”
Earlier this year, Midsteeple Quarter began work on its first phase of major construction, transforming the former Baker’s Oven site at 135-139 High Street into new homes and enterprise spaces.
Of its other buildings, 111 High Street is home to Flourish and Lolliography, while 109 , The Smithy and The Press are being used for events, pop-up shops and other activities, showcasing work of social enterprises, fledgling businesses, community groups and many more.
Scottish Parliament Economy and Fair Work Committee members in Dumfries High Street in April
In their report generally, the Economy and Fair Work Committee recommended:
Strengthening the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) to ensure that any proposed developments can demonstrate that town centre sites have been pursued and thoroughly evaluated and that developments will have no adverse impact on town centres and will not compete with town centre provision.
The overarching principle must be rebalancing the cost of doing business in town centres versus out-of-town sites. Approaches that could be considered include giving Councils the power to levy an out-of-town development premium or a business rates surcharge which could then be used for town centre regeneration.
The current non-domestic rates (NDR) system acts as a disincentive when trying to attract businesses back to our town centres. For businesses already located in town centres, the current NDR system acts as a disincentive to invest in already occupied property, as any investment leads to an increase in NDR. The Committee consistently heard that the current system works against investment and growth in town centre retail and that the NDR system should be rebalanced to support town centre development.
There is strong demand amongst Scotland's smaller retailers for more and better support to build their online presence and to be able to take advantage of platforms that already exist. A broader range of opportunities must be made available to upskill, strengthen and future-proof our retail workforce.
Transparency of beneficial ownership of town centre property and land and absentee owners can still be a problem, particularly where an individual lives or is based overseas. It is the Committee’s strong view that all property and landowners should be contactable and there should be clarity on who the owner is. The Scottish Government has said its focus is on Compulsory Purchase Orders. The Committee is of the view that the Scottish Government’s actions may be insufficient and that more may need to be to address this problem.
Local authorities have a range of powers available to them to tackle derelict or dangerous buildings but they are not used as frequently or proactively as we would like. There can be a reluctance to resort to those statutory powers, in part due to a lack of resources to carry actions through. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government's commitment to reform and modernise the compulsory purchase orders.
The Committee recognises the value of, and increased demand for, online and e-commerce activities and the importance of increasing the use of technology as a driver of increased productivity. A strategically driven action plan should be developed by the Scottish Government to support the take-up of training and capacity building to support Scotland's eCommerce activity.
You can read the full report here.