A major £2m cash award will urge people to "Shop Local" and will help improve a number of town centres across the Falkirk Council area, a meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee heard today.

Falkirk, Bo'ness, Stenhousemuir, Grangemouth and Denny will all see improvement works carried out this financial year that aims to strengthen and enhance the role of town centres in light of the recent economic downturn and build upon on-going regeneration activity.

A combination of public and private funding will help to deliver a number of key projects across the area including:

• £820k for Falkirk's ‘Historical Core' project based at Falkirk Old and St Modan's Church Yard that will see restoration of the surrounding historic graveyard, complimenting recent works to the church and raising its visitor profile within the town centre setting. To enhance this project, additional funding bids will be sought with the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland.
• Nearly £500k has been approved for investment in new traffic signalling at Denny Cross as part of early regeneration infrastructure works, vacant property acquisitions and shopfront improvements to the traditional town centre retail premises for retailers in Stirling Street.
• Nearly £400k contribution for additional streetscape improvements and new signage for Bo'ness town centre as well as a contribution to the two THI (Townscape Heritage Initiative) priority projects at Stewart Avenue, restoring two key town centre derelict buildings and adding to the transformation of the town centre,
• £140k contribution to improvements in Falkirk town centre, providing visitor information, retail and direction signs in the High Street and secondary retail areas, public car parks, bus and railway stations.
• £50k contribution for gateway signage and public art, helping to complete the Stenhousemuir town centre regeneration.
• £35k for a dedicated covered performance area in Grangemouth town centre to compliment the wide and varied promotional activities that take place in the town centre.

Councillor Linda Gow, Convener of Policy and Resources said: "The economic downturn is undoubtedly affecting trade across our town centres. We embarked on a series of measures earlier this year aimed at helping local traders to improve their prospects. The traders helped to shape the bid for these projects.


"This additional funding will help to transform our town centres even further, building on some of the excellent work carried out already. We're putting forward a bid for a further £1m second phase of funding to our local retailing centres and we hope that this will be successful also."

(GK/KMcA)