An ambitious investment of £1.25 billion in towns and communities across North Lanarkshire aims to transform them into vibrant, thriving, sustainable places.

The five-year regeneration proposals will reshape town centres into dynamic multi-use spaces, develop business and retail opportunities, improve housing and schools, develop local and community hubs, enhance local services and leisure and green spaces.

Councillor Jim Logue, Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, explained, “Over the next five years, we are investing £1.2 billion in creating town and community hubs, in our country parks, and in essential infrastructure and housing to help create a sustainable future for town centres that will benefit people and communities across North Lanarkshire.

“The draft visions for our town centres bring a tangible reality to the outline concepts and these will be developed with our communities, for our communities, so that we are creating vibrant, safe, resilient places where people are supported at all stages of their life and businesses can thrive.”

In Motherwell, the investment will include plans to:

• Build a £1million velo park at the Bellshill entrance to Strathclyde Country Park
• Create a heritage and lagoon area, new outdoor centre and play areas in the Country Park
• Development of town and community hubs
• Redeveloped of the town centre incorporating a new town square and transport interchange
• Connect the town centre retail core and encourage new housing
• Refurbishment of Braidhurst industrial estate
• Greenspace restoration and improvements at Dalziel Estate
• Demolition of Allan, Draffen and Coursington Towers to make way for new council housing developments

The town hubs and smaller, complementary community hubs will provide a range of services including education, leisure, public services, commercial opportunities and flexible work spaces, bringing communities closer in one central space. Individual Town Action Plans will be developed through future Community Boards, which will also review final town visions and investment priorities for each town.

Councillor Logue added: “These projects will be underpinned by the highest quality digital infrastructure and a network of active travel routes, so our people are connected digitally and physically to our towns, communities and greenspaces. The pace of change is vast and we’re creating places that people truly want to live, learn, work, invest and visit.”

Bellshill’s Opportunities

Bellshill needs to continue to adapt and strengthen its role as a liveable mixed-use centre that can offer good homes, good local services and quality local jobs all within a 30 min walk or a 15 min cycle of the centre.

The core projects involve:

• Developing a new Town Hub co-located alongside the Town Centre
• Focusing the Town Centre around Main Street and the Town Hub
• Building on local Green Network, Active Travel routes
• Promoting ‘lifestyle appeal’ based on a mixed-use centre
• Investing in Town Centre living with affordable homes for all

Motherwell’s Opportunities

Motherwell needs to adapt to change and is looking to:

• Develop Town & Community Hubs
• Develop a new Transport Interchange
• Connect the Town Centre retail core and encourage new housing
• Strengthen the links to Ravenscraig and residential communities
• Develop a new Town Square and Civic Event space
• Develop improved links to Strathclyde Country Park