Who should win regeneration game?

Dumfries has been cited by some politicians as a place which could benefit from a new fund to help regenerate town centres in Scotland

By Giancarlo Rinaldi South of Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website

Dumfries found out sooner than most about the global "credit crunch".

It was on the brink of a multi-million pound regeneration plan when the economic rug was pulled out from underneath the south of Scotland town.

In April last year developer Centros said it could no longer proceed with a "visionary" overhaul of the area.

The firm said the projected valuation of the project had "fallen so sharply" it could not justify any further capital investment in the scheme.

It was a decision which left the town, in regeneration terms at least, high and dry.

"This development was exciting and visionary and would have gone a long way to revitalising the town centre," planning committee chairman Roger Grant said at the time.

The problem has been exacerbated by a number of national chains closing their doors in recent months.

It remains hard for new-start businesses to afford the costs of setting up in the town centre �20m regeneration fund proposed Woolworths has left the building

The most prominent was the town's Woolworths store but within a few hundred yards sites which belonged to photograph developers Klick and stationery firm The Works also sit empty.

A couple of coffee shops and a one-time Currys electrical shop are also vacant.

On the upside, a new outdoor equipment store has just moved in to one prominent site.

Nonetheless, it remains hard for new-start businesses to afford the costs of setting up in the town centre.

The situation prompted Councillor Robert Higgins to recently suggest the creation of a �20m regeneration fund.

He said: "This is a good town, it is an attractive town, and it really needs to move on."

The new scheme hopes to help fill empty shops

That echoed the feelings of many.

There is tangible frustration at the way the area has been "seduced and abandoned" by some national retailers.

Local shopkeepers tell you that overheads make survival difficult - never mind any thoughts of expansion.

Certainly, walking along the High Street, the need for investment is clear.

Of course, there have been plenty of other times in the history of the town when shops have sat empty.

At least a couple of decades ago one local newspaper ran a feature on boarded up properties under the headline "A High Street Named Dereliction".

This is not a new phenomenon and the number of occupied properties clearly ebbs and flows.

'Cruel deception'

Lately, however, there is a definite feeling that the tide is going out.

That is why any financial packages which the town could tap into would be most welcome.

Last week a �60m Town Centre Regeneration Fund was confirmed by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Conservatives have even launched a website - helpourhighstreet.com - where people can nominate their town for assistance.

Not everyone has been impressed with the Lib Dems dubbing the fund "cruel deception" with money having to be cut next year.

However, the need for a little help in a town like Dumfries is quite clear.

Its biggest problem, perhaps, will be fighting off all the competing bids from other parts of the country.

Which Scottish town do you think is most in need of regeneration?

What measures are needed to help turn around its fortunes?

What eyesore properties need to be tackled with the greatest urgency? Or is your town an example which others should follow?

Is a �60m fund the right way to address such problems?

Email your suggestions and/or images of towns in need of an overhaul to: [email protected] or click here.

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