June 2011 (PDF, 706KB) - Falkirk Council

Heart of Town
Centre Restored
Recent visitors to Falkirk town centre won’t have
been able to miss the new suite of signage installed
throughout the town centre. We announced
last year that Falkirk Council had won £2 million
in regeneration funding from the Scottish
Government’s national fund for revitalising town
centres, along with a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
grant award for improvements to Falkirk Old and St
Modan’s churchyard.
Part of the funding has been used
to provide both directional signage
and maps, which allow users to find
out where they are relative to other
attractions and retail areas in the
town centre.
Extensive planning went into the
design of the signage to ensure it
would maximise the amount of useful
information for both shoppers and
visitors.
Meanwhile, the churchyard of Falkirk Old and St Modan’s Parish
Church, situated directly opposite the prime retail core of the town,
has been quietly undergoing a transformation to become the historic
heart of Falkirk. The town is believed to take its name from this
church, “Faw Kirk”, meaning “speckled church”, over time becoming
“Falkirk”.
The church has important connections to the Battle of Falkirk in
1298, with notable casualties including Sir John de Graeme, William
Wallace’s right hand man, being buried in the graveyard. There are
also tombs from the Battle of Falkirk Muir in 1746, when Bonnie Prince
Charlie and the Jacobites defeated government troops. A number of
tombs and monuments have been cleaned up, the churchyard and
surrounding retail areas landscaped, feature lighting installed and
now plans are afoot to raise awareness of the fascinating history of
the site.
To help with this aim, Falkirk Council has recently been successful
in receiving a second HLF award, specifically for the interpretation
issue 1 - june 2011
www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk
and participation aspects of the project. Forth Valley College art and
design students have been invited to design an interpretative leaflet
promoting the site, which will be distributed across the area to attract
visitors. Throughout the summer, Falkirk Local History Society will be
conducting tours of the church and ghost tours will be available from
the award winning Ghostly Guides group.
One of Scotland’s top stone carvers, Gardner Malloy, has been
working on the site and has just completed a series of stonemason
career workshops with local high schools as part of My Future’s in
Falkirk’s engaging youth programme.
The combination of town centre and churchyard improvements
add to Falkirk’s attractiveness and appeal, maximising visitors’ and
shoppers’ enjoyment of the town centre. The work has been warmly
endorsed by the Falkirk BID (Business Improvement District) and
other town centre businesses.
For details of tours visit www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/towns
Issue 1 • June 2011

Issue 1 • June 2011
Movie Magic for
Forth Valley Tourism
Partnership
Tourism businesses had a taste of movie
magic in February when the latest Forth Valley
Tourism Partnership event was held.
Hosted by the Bo’ness Hippodrome, Scotland’s first purpose
built cinema, businesses were treated to an evening of
networking and film clips featuring the cinema’s history and
restoration, plus heritage attractions in the Forth Valley. Trailers
highlighting some of the big-name releases in the forthcoming
programme were screened and the Hippodrome team gave an
insight into their plans for Scotland’s first silent film festival.
The pre-art deco cinema has
boosted visitors to the Bo’ness
area and been described as one
of the top five local cinemas in Scotland.
The VisitFalkirk team at the expo in Aberdeen
Putting Falkirk on the
international map
A new visitor map and a
new guide highlighting
events and festivals
across Falkirk district were
launched at a major travel trade event in April.
The free publications – under a new brand “VisitFalkirk” - have been
produced by Falkirk Council to showcase the wealth of attractions in
the local area.
A team from Falkirk Council, the Falkirk Wheel, Bo’ness & Kinneil
Railway, the Helix and Falkirk District Town Centres Management
came together to promote the Falkirk area at the VisitScotland expo in
Aberdeen.
With around 850 buyers from across 30 countries, the event was an
excellent opportunity to meet coach operators, travel agents and
independent tour operators and to press home the message that the
Falkirk area is a great place to visit at the very heart of Scotland.
The leaflets are available online at www.falkirk.gov.uk/visitfalkirk
•
•
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the helix heralds
start of £43 million
land transformation
project
Recipient of Scotland’s largest Big Lottery Fund
award starts work on major project.
Land between Falkirk and Grangemouth will be
transformed into an international visitor attraction.
Development will feature world famous horse
sculptures, The Kelpies®.
Something fantastic is happening in the heart of Scotland.
A 300-hectare site of unused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth is
to be transformed into the Helix, a superb, vibrant new parkland set to
become an exciting international visitor attraction.
Whether it’s walking or running, cycling or sailing or simply taking in the
beautiful natural setting, the Helix promises something for everyone.
Key developments in phase one will include a dramatic central park, with
its own enclosed lagoon and outdoor events space. Boaters will be able
to navigate a new canal link connecting Grangemouth and the Firth of
Forth to Scotland’s extensive canal network.
The centrepiece of the new canal link will be the stunning Kelpies® lock:
two 30-metre-high sculptures in the shape of horse’s heads.
Other planned developments include pathways and cycle networks, a
major public artwork and a range of community facilities.
The Helix has been awarded £25 million by the Big Lottery Fund’s
Living Landmarks programme, the largest single grant to be made
to an individual project . Phase one of the project is scheduled to be
completed by summer 2013.
The first contractor to start work on the Helix is Land Engineering. The
company is carrying out a series of landscape improvements in the
southern zone of the Helix site.
To help mark this symbolic moment, a
group of special guests planted the Helix
project’s first new trees. The Helix will
incorporate a thriving blend of new and
existing woodland as part of a sustainably
managed natural habitat.
Planting the trees were Craig Martin,
leader of Falkirk Council; Anne Widdop,
chairman of the Helix Trust board; local
youngsters Grant Woodburn (15) and
Charlotte Laing (15), who originally helped
the Helix celebrate the award of Big
Lottery Funding; Kirsty Nairn, programme
manager Big Lottery Scotland; Steven
Pressley, manager of Falkirk Football
Club, whose stadium sits adjacent to the
Helix site, and pupils from Victoria Primary
School in Falkirk.
Throughout 2011, work will also start on
the construction of central park, the canal
hub, canal extension and the fabrication of
the full-size Kelpies®.
Land Engineering resurface the path at Mumrills
Road near Beancross as part of the Helix South paths
improvement programme.
in the headlines
Falkirk BID aims for
five year term
Falkirk Business Improvement District (BID),
launched in 2007, has unveiled its plans for
the future. Working alongside Falkirk Council
to deliver projects such as taxi marshals and
farmers markets, the BID has completed
its three year term and is now asking
local firms to give them the opportunity to
continue to for a five year period.
Falkirk Herald, 18/04/1
Stagecoach orders 20
additional buses in
£3.8m deal
Bus builder Alexander Dennis in Falkirk have
secured a deal to supply Stagecoach with
an additional 20 of their Enviro 400 hybrid
diesel-electric buses. This brings the total
green buses Stagecoach have ordered to
142. Stagecoach have received financial
support from the Government’s Green Bus
Fund which helps companies to adopt
green technologies.
Falkirk Herald, 07/04/11
HEROtsc reveals job
numbers up by 1500
Call centre company HEROtsc,
headquartered in Falkirk, announced a new
contract with energy provider E.on. The
expansion of operations has meant the
creation of 1500 jobs in the past 18 months,
approximately 800 of which are in Scotland.
The Scotsman, 07/04/11
Green light for road
project
Road improvements at Larbert have been
given the go-ahead. Development of
the transport infrastructure was deemed
necessary in line with increased traffic
around the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
The junction between the A9 and M876 will
be upgraded to a four-way interchange,
improving access to the motorway and the
Clackmannanshire Bridge. Work should be
completed by March 2012.
Falkirk Herald, 10/03/11
Compulsory purchase
may speed up Denny
revamp
Falkirk Council announced a major step
forward for the redevelopment of Denny
town centre. Use of Compulsory Purchase
Orders (CPOs) was approved at the
council’s Policy and Resources Committee,
which will accelerate the acquisition of
properties and enable demolition to begin.
Stirling Observer, 02/03/11
Ineos China-UK oil
refinery deal worth
$1bn.
Ineos have been offered $1bn (£626m) by
PetroChina for a 50% share in its European
refining business. The joint venture
will include investment in refineries at
Grangemouth and Lavéra in France and is
expected to secure 2000 Scottish jobs.
BBC, 31/01/11
FVC Students Help
Falkirk Youth to be
heard
Two Forth Valley College students have
been elected as MSYPs (Members of the
Scottish Youth Parliament) for Falkirk East.
The Scottish Youth Parliament is a nonpolitical,
youth-led organisation that seeks
to represent Scotland’s young people aged
14-25. Falkirk West is also represented by
two young people, all of whom are elected
for a two year term.
Forth Valley College website, 21/04/11
The Wheel turns
– major canalside
regeneration scheme
sails through planning
Planning permission in principle has been
granted for a mixed use scheme on a 58
acre canalside site near the Falkirk Wheel.
Falkirk Council and British Waterways are
collaborating on the project to regenerate
and revitalise the Forth & Clyde canal
corridor.
Compropscotland.com, 20.04.11
Issue 1 • June 2011

Issue 1 • June 2011
New Grangemouth
Bandstand has local flavour
The provision of a new bandstand in Grangemouth
town centre provided the opportunity for Grangemouth
High pupils to add a local flavour. Pupils were invited to create
designs, with the winning design being used for a feature slab which
would be inlaid in the flooring in the centre of the performance space.
The brief for the competition was to depict the history and character
of the town, thinking about key landmarks like the oil refinery, Zetland
Park, the War Memorial, the Docks and Town Hall, but to convey this in a
design simple enough to be created in a 600mm x 600mm stone carving.
A judging panel consisting of a local business representative, design
architects Ironside Farrar, Town Centre Management and Falkirk Council
selected 2nd year pupil, Jessica Wood’s design which has now been
incorporated into the Grangemouth Events Space for all residents and
visitors to enjoy. Jessica was presented with a replica plaque of her
design by Provost Pat Reid as a memento of her involvement.
The bandstand provides a contemporary performance space, compete
with power point, which can be used flexibly to accommodate different
types of performances and events in the town centre.
Bo’ness Academy pupils get business
experience with launch of community
food project
Pupils from Bo’ness Academy
are being given the opportunity
to develop their employability
skills and gain hands-on work
experience with the launch of the
‘Bon Appétit’ food cooperative.
The project, which has been designed to
offer training and business experience to
pupils in areas such as money-handling,
food preparation and marketing, also
provides staff and pupils with low cost,
healthy food options.
The key aims of the initiative are to provide
opportunities for those S4/5 leavers who are
at risk of not going into further training or
employment when they leave school, with
practical skills to assist them and give them
an insight into employability.
The project is run in partnership with
local employer Caledonian Produce. It
supplies the Bon Appétit co-operative with
food products such as pasta, fruit and
vegetables that may be surplus packs
from a production run, or poorly presented.
All products supplied are perfectly fit for
consumption and have a minimum of two
days use-by date. There is an extensive
procedure manual in place to ensure all
health and safety recommendations are
followed.
Initially the food cooperative has been
set up at Bo’ness Academy, utilising a
dedicated kitchen area within the school
where food is stored, repackaged and
made ready for collection or distribution.
Food is currently being sold to staff and
pupils, but the long-term plan is that the
project will eventually reach out to the wider
community.
Members of the project have paid a fee of
£2 to join with £1 allocated to the purchase
of a reusable bag and £1 to join the project.
Fifteen per cent of the income generated
from sales goes towards extracurricular
activities for the students involved the
project, and they have already enjoyed a
go-karting trip with their earnings.
Kevin Rae, Learning Choices Coordinator
at Bo’ness Academy, commented: “We
are thrilled with the positive feedback we
have received so far from the Bon Appétit
project. Both pupils and staff have really got
involved and it has been a great success.
We’re now looking at options to expand the
project within the wider community around
Bo’ness and hope very much to build upon
its initial success”.
Glenn Hodgson, veterinary surgeon and co-manager of Apex Vets in
Denny, opened the purpose-built Veterinary Centre, with fellow vet and
business partner Douglas Paterson in September 2010.
They invested their own capital into the project, and were also awarded money from the
BP Loan Fund, which was set up in 2000 by BP in partnership with Falkirk Council, Scottish
Enterprise and Falkirk Enterprise Action Trust (now Falkirk For Business).
Having studied, and practiced as vets across the UK, Glenn and Douglas decided to set up
their own practice together and wanted to identify an area that had a real need for a first class
veterinary centre that could also be a strong part of the community.
Glenn talks about his experience of starting up his own business and the careful planning that
went into Apex Vets before it was launched in September 2010.
Best piece of business advice you ever
received?
This is an easy one. Treat others as you
would like to be treated yourself.
What makes your blood boil?
Injustice followed closely by poor service.
What makes you happy and contented?
When everything is going well at home
(family and friends) and at work (business
and colleagues).
In one sentence, what piece of advice
could you offer to a new business?
When working with some service companies
plan everything well in advance and keep
your finger on the pulse.
Careful plans or big risks?
Carefully planned risks!
Going into business is always risk to some
degree. Careful planning helps reduce risk
and the associated stress. Prior to starting
Apex Vets, my business partner and I found
ourselves with a 120 page business plan!
Best under pressure or well chilled?
A bit of both please.
Pressure is provided by the surgical and
medical emergencies that arrive here
daily. It is important to be able to thrive
in this environment. When an emergency
arrives the whole team gets into action. It
is good to see everyone getting involved
in an emergency case, from the vital client
communication at the front desk through
to animal monitoring and treatments in the
kennels or operating theatre.
A “well chilled” period following
emergencies is always appreciated. It gives
us time to tidy up and get ready for the next
arrival; and to enjoy the more relaxing work
like checking and vaccinating client’s new
puppy/kitten!
What makes you happy and contented?
When everything is going well at home
(family and friends) and at work (business
and colleagues).
talkback
Glenn Hodgson,
Apex Vets
What has been the most difficult hurdle to
overcome in business and how did you
do it?
Without doubt it was obtaining funding
during a recession.
This was overcome with a lot of keen
planning, saving, help from the BP Business
Loan Fund, utilisation of the Enterprise
Finance Guarantee Scheme and a great
deal of kind assistance from both my own
and Douglas’s family members.
Which famous person do you most
admire and why?
Chris Paterson, rugby player. Need I say
why?
Best deal?
The best deals are the ones that work for
both parties.
In my previous employment the high case
load allowed me to gain a lot of experience.
My employers also felt that they were getting
a good deal as I did plenty of work!
Best recipe for winding down?
Going for a walk in the country with my
Fiancée and two Labradors.
In a perfect world…
Everyone is healthy and happy.
Favourite place?
Scotland. I have visited other countries
briefly but they are just not the same.
Dream car?
Pagani Zonda R. I wouldn’t want one
for keeps though; I think they are a little
overpriced.
Favourite city?
Edinburgh. I really enjoyed being a student
there and have lots of fond memories.
Favourite book?
Lord of the Rings.
Hobbies?
The dogs, a spot of fishing and a good
competitive game of badminton.
Favourite eaterie/restaurant?
The Anchor in Dunipace. I am very biased
as it is only a stone’s throw from my house.
They ran a comedy night last month and the
half time snacks went down a treat!
Issue 1 • June 2011

Issue 1 • June 2011
falkirk business panel
update event in march
Members of the business panel came together in March for the annual
update event, providing the opportunity to hear from Falkirk Council
on all its activities affecting business. This year the business community were also
invited to participate in discussion groups to give their feedback on a new business support
strategy for the area.
Rhona Geisler, Director of Development Services at Falkirk Council spoke about Tax Increment
Financing and the Upper Forth Development Investment Zone. This project recognises the
strengths of the Falkirk-Grangemouth area and the potential for the site to be of national
significance. She outlined that Scottish Enterprise, Falkirk Council and Chemical Sciences
Scotland have commissioned a study and framework to “provide a clear and common direction
for future economic growth in the area”. Work is ongoing and this will be published in June.
Julian Taylor, Director of Strategy and Economics at Scottish Enterprise then gave a lively and
informative talk on the wider Scottish economy and how the Falkirk area compares, before
the audience gathered into discussion groups to help inform the content of the new Business
Support Strategy for the area.
Since the event, the Business Support Strategy for the Falkirk Area has been approved by
Falkirk Council’s Economic Development and Strategy Committee. For a full write up of the
discussion groups visit www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/results
diary dates
Falkirk Business Exhibition 2011
Friday 17 June, Falkirk Town Hall
Visit the home page of www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk to register.
Falkirk Business Panel Annual Conference
Friday 23 September, MacDonald Inchyra Grange Hotel
Further details will be added to www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk in due course.
In this edition, the Economic Outlook
column takes a look at some key statistics
and what they say about the local economy
of the Falkirk area.
Business Demography
In Falkirk there were 3,375 active businesses in 2009. There were
400 business births, a birth rate of 11.8%, and there were 325 deaths
(9.6%). The five-year survival rate for businesses born in 2004 and still
active in 2009 was 43.2%.
In Scotland as a whole, the comparable figures for 2009 are: 151,000
active businesses, a birth rate of 9.8% and a death rate of 10.2%. The
Scottish five-year survival rate for businesses born in 2004 and still
active in 2009 was 47.5%.
Although these figures for 2009 show that Falkirk compared
favourably in terms of its birth and death rates, Falkirk has for many
years had a lower stock of businesses for the size of its population
than Scotland as a whole.
Number of Active Business Enterprises per 1000 Working Population
2004 2008 2009
Falkirk 32.4 35.3 35.6
Scotland 42.6 46.0 46.5
The recently approved Business Support Strategy for the Falkirk
recognises that a healthy business birth rate is needed to maintain
and enhance the business base. Increasing the business birth rate
has been identified as a key priority of the strategy.
Forecasts of Economic Growth
The UK economy is currently forecast to grow at around +1.6% in
2011. The average of several forecasters’ estimates for Scotland is
also around 1.6% growth. This would be a slight improvement on
Scotland’s growth rate in 2010.
Mackay Consultants produce forecasts of economic growth at local
authority level. In their Prospects for the Scottish Economy 2011-2014,
Falkirk is rated 7th highest of 32 council areas at an average annual
increase of +2.38% over 4 years.
economic outlook
The Importance of
Manufacturing
The latest business statistics for Scotland show that the Gross Value
Added (GVA) of the manufacturing sector was £13,985.6 million.
Manufacturing in the Falkirk area contributed £1,546.3 million to
Scottish GVA. Compared to all the other 32 local authorities in
Scotland, Falkirk was the top local authority contributing 11.1% of
Scotland’s manufacturing GVA, followed by Glasgow at 9%. The
largest contributions to GVA within manufacturing came from the
petro-chemicals industry.
Falkirk has a higher percentage of people employed within the
manufacturing sector than Scotland as a whole, particularly within
the chemicals and petro-chemicals industries and metal goods,
mechanical engineering and transport equipment. In Falkirk,
manufacturing accounts for 12.7% of total employment compared to
the Scottish proportion of 7.9%.
With a higher concentration of manufacturing than any other part of
Scotland, Falkirk should be well placed to capitalise on export and
other emerging opportunities as government seeks to re-balance
the economy away from over-reliance on the financial sector, the
domestic consumer and public services.
Falkirk Council, Scottish Enterprise and Chemical Sciences Scotland,
in conjunction with local industry, are currently developing a
framework which will provide a clear and common direction for future
economic growth in the area’s key sectors.
2011 Census
Most people will be aware that the date of the 2011 Census was
Sunday 27th March. Once the data has been fully collected and
analysed, the Census will provide a wealth of information about
the local population, including information on the economy. The
first results are expected in July 2012 and will be released over the
following months.
There will be figures on the numbers of people in employment, the
types of jobs they have and the industries they work in. Data will be
available on the qualifications held by local people and their travel
to work patterns. All this will give everyone an insight into the local
economy and help to plan for future developments.
The Council will publish information on its website as it becomes
available.
For further information on economic statistics for the Falkirk
Council area, please follow the links:
Falkirk as a location:
www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/research
The Falkirk Council Research and Information web page:
www.falkirk.gov.uk/statistics
Issue 1 • June 2011

Looking for
Business
Property
in the
Falkirk Area?
The Business Property Register is an
ideal point of reference for companies or
individuals looking for property in which to
start a new business venture, relocate or
expand an existing business.
Visit www.falkirk.gov.uk/property or
call Jennifer Anton at Falkirk Council
on 01324 590975.