Question reference: S6W-26101
- Date lodged: 12 March 2024
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Current status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering on the recommendations of the review of the Town Centres Action Plan.
Answer
Since the review of the Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP), we continue to implement the Town Centre First Principle and work closely with partners including COSLA and Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) to support progress on the delivery of actions outlined in TCAP. The National Planning Framework 4, published in February 2023, recognises town centres as national assets and aims to promote and facilitate development within them, including encouraging town centre living and limiting out of town retail development.
In collaboration with STP, progress towards town centre regeneration has also been showcased in a number of forums, including recent workshops on town centre living, place-based investment and the annual Scotland’s Towns conference.
Support for town centre action is backed by our multiple capital investment programmes, including the Place Based Investment Programme, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. However, the UK Government’s reduction in our capital budget will adversely impact the support that we can provide in 2024-25.