Trust has '˜charrette' for Lanark's ancient roads

Charrette is the latest idea adopted by Lanark Development Trust, and local people are being invited along to such a public meeting or workshop to see what cannbe done to improve tourism in Lanark.

The Trust, already well known for the regeneration going on at Castlebank Park, has already issued details of its programme, the Lanark Vision, aimed at the regeneration of the town centre and increasing the number of visitors by building a ‘Lanark brand’ to market Lanark as an attractive destination.

Trust chair Sylvia Russell is excited by the potential of the project.

“The project is at an early stage and there is much to consider, but an opportunity has been identified to build on the historic significance of Lanark and create something of an “Old Town” experience as part of a package of improvements in recreation and amenities.

“There are certain areas in the town that have potential to support this but most notably around Castlegate and the Wellgate.“

The Trust has chosen the charrette system as the best for such an important project for the town. It sums up the charrette as: an intensive planning session where citizens, designers and others collaborate on a “vision” for development; it provides a forum for ideas, gives designers feedback while allowing participants to be co-creators of any plan,

“We would like to make our charrette as inclusive as possible so we are engaging with groups ranging from our schools to our local authority. The town centre businesses would be a vital partner in any plan and are at the heart of any regeneration,” said Sylvia.

There will be an open informal event at the Tolbooth running on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 when everyone is welcome to drop in to get an overview of the initial plans and to make their own contributions.