Wishaw will build on this quality of place creating a new compact and liveable centre that connects The Cross, the health centre, the rail station and a new community hub and green network.

The Vision will be built around ‘town liveability’, strengthening Wishaw’s place quality and supporting community wealth and civic value within an enterprising and inclusive economy.

New, town centre living provided for within a mix of affordable, amenity and open-market, energy-efficient homes will support growth and sustain a vibrant centre.

Place to live and work

Wishaw is a great place to live and work offering both enterprise opportunities for home office and home working alongside a strong small business base.

Equally, the centre is well connected with good public transport links to Glasgow and other centres and can be a quality commuter town offering accessible living with good connections to employment.

Strong community built on quality assets

The new town hub together with the Houldsworth Centre, alongside easy access to regional health, sports and educational facilities (Wishaw General Hospital, Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre, New College Lanarkshire) make Wishaw an enviable destination.

The development of active travel and ‘greenways’ will further connect regional facilities and adjacent centres creating an attractive green circular network through the Clyde and Calder valleys.

Compact centre supporting low carbon lifestyles

Wishaw’s compactness, its connections, street pattern and greenspace make for a town that can build resilience and adaptation to climate change, strengthen community life, support health and wellbeing and low-carbon living.

Sustainable and SMART urban systems (waste, drainage, 5G-Wifi and transport) will, with other facilities, make Wishaw a place of choice.

Wishaw’s opportunities

Town and town centres are facing a range of opportunities and challenges as community needs and the way we use our centres change.

Wishaw needs to adapt and strengthen its role as an appealing and liveable centre based on quality of place, enterprise, community assets and low-carbon living.

The core projects involve:

• Developing a new town hub co-located alongside the town centre.
• Focusing the town centre around The Cross, the Kirk Road and connections to the rail station.
• Strengthening Green Network, active travel and connections to Clyde and Calder Valleys.
• Promoting ‘lifestyle appeal’ based on the town’s community assets.