Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley has today launched her community-led report into Hamilton Town Centre.

The Hamilton Town’s Future report makes eight key recommendations that will help boost the prospects of Hamilton Town Centre and the businesses which call it home.

Following an extensive community consultation which received 1,566 responses, the report calls for changes to parking charges and business rates as well as recommending a long-term development plan for Hamilton and the creation of new multipurpose civic and green spaces to increase footfall.

Both parking charges and business rates were viewed as being too high and a barrier to the success of the town centre by respondents while any new multipurpose spaces should include entertainment spaces, a community garden or spaces for growing food, safe accessible play areas and green spaces with walkways for people to enjoy.

Other recommendations include a focus on Hamilton in the next South Lanarkshire tourism strategy, incentivising people to use the town centre through the Scotland Loves Local scheme or another loyalty programme and diversifying the types of business in the town centre.

The full report is available here.

Commenting, Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley said:

“I am delighted to be able to launch the Hamilton Town’s Future report highlighting both the challenges and the opportunities Hamilton faces.

“The response to the consultation was fantastic and outlines the strength of feeling in Hamilton. Residents are passionate about their town and they want to see it succeed.

“Hamilton town centre’s once-vibrant high street has experienced decline in recent years. It is clear we need a rethink on the future of the town centre and urgently need to take bold, ambitious and transformative action to sustain and secure these spaces for future generations.

“My primary objective is to ensure that the voices of the people of Hamilton are heard clearly by those leading the regeneration of our town. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation as well as those who engaged with the roundtable event and the outreach activity which took place.”