An influential academic advocates for accelerating efforts to revistalise Scotland’s towns – Scottish Business News

Scotland Loves Local Week 2024: Professor and Chair of Scotland’s Towns Partnership urges people to seize opportunities to breathe new life into communities

An influential academic says Scotland can shake-off the negativity surrounding its town centres – by accelerating work to create a better future for them, their residents and visitors.

Professor Leigh Sparks believes attention is too often skewed towards reflecting on what has gone before rather than seizing new opportunities to tackle the challenges towns face.

He spoke as Scotland Loves Local Week – seven days of action focussing on work taking place to reimagine communities and rallying people to boost the economy by spending with local businesses – begins today (Monday).

Prof Sparks is chair of Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the organisation behind Scotland Loves Local, as well as being a leading retail academic and influencer on strategies to rejuvenate places.

He said: “The town centre narrative is all too often negative. But it does not need to be. There are real opportunities we can take to resolve the issues we face and reinvent our town centres.

“No-one can deny there are challenges as our economy and society changes.

“Our town centres can, though, become places which are home to all manner of businesses and attractions – as well as, crucially, being places where increasing numbers of people live.

“The good news is that there is impressive and innovative work taking place across Scotland to rejuvenate communities in all sorts of different ways. Collectively, everyone needs to throw their energies behind finding ways to make those projects happen. The critical first step of that is by supporting local businesses of all kinds.”

As part of Scotland Loves Local Week, STP is asking people and organisations of all kinds to sign the Scotland Loves Local Pledge – signalling their commitment to choosing local whenever they possibly can, whether for shopping or services.

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland – which represent thousands of businesses between them – are among those supporting the pledge. Others include local enterprise organisations, councils and business improvement districts.

Andrew McRae, FSB Scotland Policy chair and founder of Elephant House International in Edinburgh, said: “When you think about what you love about your local high street, it is the independent traders who usually come to mind. Whether it is your favourite café, a valued shop or a trusted trades person, small businesses play a huge part in making our communities great places to live and give them so much of their distinctive character.

“With 330,000 firms employing 900,000 people across Scotland, small businesses are also critical to creating and retaining local jobs.”

Businesses say the impact of choosing local should not be underestimated.

Kilmarnock Business Association chair Craig Hume, the managing director of Utopia Computers in the town, said: “When you shop local, you’re not just buying a product, you’re backing the bold, the brave, and the brilliant minds right on your doorstep.

“It’s not just about spending money, it’s about supporting someone’s dream – helping build a community and ensuring our vibrant independent shops have a future.”

Malcolm Thomas-Harley, manager of Hamilton Our Town Business Improvement District, added: “The simple fact is that local businesses of all kinds cannot survive without the support of other local people.

“There can be a lot of doom and gloom about high streets. But rather than dwell on the past, we should be looking to a more positive future because people are investing and moving into our town centre.”

Throughout Scotland Loves Local Week, politicians from all parties will be visiting businesses and organisations across the country to see for themselves the work taking shape.

Prof Sparks said: “For many years, Scotland has led the way in revitalising town centres, making them more inclusive and fit for the future. We have to continue and accelerate this work.

“The ability to live better lives locally will support our economy, help respond to the climate crisis – making communities stronger, fairer, greener and more sustainable.”

STP leads the Scotland Loves Local initiative as a means to boost local economies and improve places by galvanising support for the people and businesses in them.

You can sign the Scotland Loves Local Pledge by going to www.lovelocal.scot/pledge.