June 2011 (PDF, 706KB) - Falkirk Council
June 2011 (PDF, 706KB) - Falkirk Council
June 2011 (PDF, 706KB) - Falkirk Council
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Heart of Town<br />
Centre Restored<br />
Recent visitors to <strong>Falkirk</strong> town centre won’t have<br />
been able to miss the new suite of signage installed<br />
throughout the town centre. We announced<br />
last year that <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> had won £2 million<br />
in regeneration funding from the Scottish<br />
Government’s national fund for revitalising town<br />
centres, along with a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)<br />
grant award for improvements to <strong>Falkirk</strong> Old and St<br />
Modan’s churchyard.<br />
Part of the funding has been used<br />
to provide both directional signage<br />
and maps, which allow users to find<br />
out where they are relative to other<br />
attractions and retail areas in the<br />
town centre.<br />
Extensive planning went into the<br />
design of the signage to ensure it<br />
would maximise the amount of useful<br />
information for both shoppers and<br />
visitors.<br />
Meanwhile, the churchyard of <strong>Falkirk</strong> Old and St Modan’s Parish<br />
Church, situated directly opposite the prime retail core of the town,<br />
has been quietly undergoing a transformation to become the historic<br />
heart of <strong>Falkirk</strong>. The town is believed to take its name from this<br />
church, “Faw Kirk”, meaning “speckled church”, over time becoming<br />
“<strong>Falkirk</strong>”.<br />
The church has important connections to the Battle of <strong>Falkirk</strong> in<br />
1298, with notable casualties including Sir John de Graeme, William<br />
Wallace’s right hand man, being buried in the graveyard. There are<br />
also tombs from the Battle of <strong>Falkirk</strong> Muir in 1746, when Bonnie Prince<br />
Charlie and the Jacobites defeated government troops. A number of<br />
tombs and monuments have been cleaned up, the churchyard and<br />
surrounding retail areas landscaped, feature lighting installed and<br />
now plans are afoot to raise awareness of the fascinating history of<br />
the site.<br />
To help with this aim, <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> has recently been successful<br />
in receiving a second HLF award, specifically for the interpretation<br />
issue 1 - june <strong>2011</strong><br />
www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk<br />
and participation aspects of the project. Forth Valley College art and<br />
design students have been invited to design an interpretative leaflet<br />
promoting the site, which will be distributed across the area to attract<br />
visitors. Throughout the summer, <strong>Falkirk</strong> Local History Society will be<br />
conducting tours of the church and ghost tours will be available from<br />
the award winning Ghostly Guides group.<br />
One of Scotland’s top stone carvers, Gardner Malloy, has been<br />
working on the site and has just completed a series of stonemason<br />
career workshops with local high schools as part of My Future’s in<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong>’s engaging youth programme.<br />
The combination of town centre and churchyard improvements<br />
add to <strong>Falkirk</strong>’s attractiveness and appeal, maximising visitors’ and<br />
shoppers’ enjoyment of the town centre. The work has been warmly<br />
endorsed by the <strong>Falkirk</strong> BID (Business Improvement District) and<br />
other town centre businesses.<br />
For details of tours visit www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/towns<br />
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
Movie Magic for<br />
Forth Valley Tourism<br />
Partnership<br />
Tourism businesses had a taste of movie<br />
magic in February when the latest Forth Valley<br />
Tourism Partnership event was held.<br />
Hosted by the Bo’ness Hippodrome, Scotland’s first purpose<br />
built cinema, businesses were treated to an evening of<br />
networking and film clips featuring the cinema’s history and<br />
restoration, plus heritage attractions in the Forth Valley. Trailers<br />
highlighting some of the big-name releases in the forthcoming<br />
programme were screened and the Hippodrome team gave an<br />
insight into their plans for Scotland’s first silent film festival.<br />
The pre-art deco cinema has<br />
boosted visitors to the Bo’ness<br />
area and been described as one<br />
of the top five local cinemas in Scotland.<br />
The Visit<strong>Falkirk</strong> team at the expo in Aberdeen<br />
Putting <strong>Falkirk</strong> on the<br />
international map<br />
A new visitor map and a<br />
new guide highlighting<br />
events and festivals<br />
across <strong>Falkirk</strong> district were<br />
launched at a major travel trade event in April.<br />
The free publications – under a new brand “Visit<strong>Falkirk</strong>” - have been<br />
produced by <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> to showcase the wealth of attractions in<br />
the local area.<br />
A team from <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, the <strong>Falkirk</strong> Wheel, Bo’ness & Kinneil<br />
Railway, the Helix and <strong>Falkirk</strong> District Town Centres Management<br />
came together to promote the <strong>Falkirk</strong> area at the VisitScotland expo in<br />
Aberdeen.<br />
With around 850 buyers from across 30 countries, the event was an<br />
excellent opportunity to meet coach operators, travel agents and<br />
independent tour operators and to press home the message that the<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> area is a great place to visit at the very heart of Scotland.<br />
The leaflets are available online at www.falkirk.gov.uk/visitfalkirk<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
the helix heralds<br />
start of £43 million<br />
land transformation<br />
project<br />
Recipient of Scotland’s largest Big Lottery Fund<br />
award starts work on major project.<br />
Land between <strong>Falkirk</strong> and Grangemouth will be<br />
transformed into an international visitor attraction.<br />
Development will feature world famous horse<br />
sculptures, The Kelpies®.<br />
Something fantastic is happening in the heart of Scotland.<br />
A 300-hectare site of unused land between <strong>Falkirk</strong> and Grangemouth is<br />
to be transformed into the Helix, a superb, vibrant new parkland set to<br />
become an exciting international visitor attraction.<br />
Whether it’s walking or running, cycling or sailing or simply taking in the<br />
beautiful natural setting, the Helix promises something for everyone.<br />
Key developments in phase one will include a dramatic central park, with<br />
its own enclosed lagoon and outdoor events space. Boaters will be able<br />
to navigate a new canal link connecting Grangemouth and the Firth of<br />
Forth to Scotland’s extensive canal network.<br />
The centrepiece of the new canal link will be the stunning Kelpies® lock:<br />
two 30-metre-high sculptures in the shape of horse’s heads.<br />
Other planned developments include pathways and cycle networks, a<br />
major public artwork and a range of community facilities.<br />
The Helix has been awarded £25 million by the Big Lottery Fund’s<br />
Living Landmarks programme, the largest single grant to be made<br />
to an individual project . Phase one of the project is scheduled to be<br />
completed by summer 2013.<br />
The first contractor to start work on the Helix is Land Engineering. The<br />
company is carrying out a series of landscape improvements in the<br />
southern zone of the Helix site.<br />
To help mark this symbolic moment, a<br />
group of special guests planted the Helix<br />
project’s first new trees. The Helix will<br />
incorporate a thriving blend of new and<br />
existing woodland as part of a sustainably<br />
managed natural habitat.<br />
Planting the trees were Craig Martin,<br />
leader of <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong>; Anne Widdop,<br />
chairman of the Helix Trust board; local<br />
youngsters Grant Woodburn (15) and<br />
Charlotte Laing (15), who originally helped<br />
the Helix celebrate the award of Big<br />
Lottery Funding; Kirsty Nairn, programme<br />
manager Big Lottery Scotland; Steven<br />
Pressley, manager of <strong>Falkirk</strong> Football<br />
Club, whose stadium sits adjacent to the<br />
Helix site, and pupils from Victoria Primary<br />
School in <strong>Falkirk</strong>.<br />
Throughout <strong>2011</strong>, work will also start on<br />
the construction of central park, the canal<br />
hub, canal extension and the fabrication of<br />
the full-size Kelpies®.<br />
Land Engineering resurface the path at Mumrills<br />
Road near Beancross as part of the Helix South paths<br />
improvement programme.<br />
in the headlines<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> BID aims for<br />
five year term<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Business Improvement District (BID),<br />
launched in 2007, has unveiled its plans for<br />
the future. Working alongside <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
to deliver projects such as taxi marshals and<br />
farmers markets, the BID has completed<br />
its three year term and is now asking<br />
local firms to give them the opportunity to<br />
continue to for a five year period.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Herald, 18/04/1<br />
Stagecoach orders 20<br />
additional buses in<br />
£3.8m deal<br />
Bus builder Alexander Dennis in <strong>Falkirk</strong> have<br />
secured a deal to supply Stagecoach with<br />
an additional 20 of their Enviro 400 hybrid<br />
diesel-electric buses. This brings the total<br />
green buses Stagecoach have ordered to<br />
142. Stagecoach have received financial<br />
support from the Government’s Green Bus<br />
Fund which helps companies to adopt<br />
green technologies.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Herald, 07/04/11<br />
HEROtsc reveals job<br />
numbers up by 1500<br />
Call centre company HEROtsc,<br />
headquartered in <strong>Falkirk</strong>, announced a new<br />
contract with energy provider E.on. The<br />
expansion of operations has meant the<br />
creation of 1500 jobs in the past 18 months,<br />
approximately 800 of which are in Scotland.<br />
The Scotsman, 07/04/11<br />
Green light for road<br />
project<br />
Road improvements at Larbert have been<br />
given the go-ahead. Development of<br />
the transport infrastructure was deemed<br />
necessary in line with increased traffic<br />
around the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital.<br />
The junction between the A9 and M876 will<br />
be upgraded to a four-way interchange,<br />
improving access to the motorway and the<br />
Clackmannanshire Bridge. Work should be<br />
completed by March 2012.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Herald, 10/03/11<br />
Compulsory purchase<br />
may speed up Denny<br />
revamp<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> announced a major step<br />
forward for the redevelopment of Denny<br />
town centre. Use of Compulsory Purchase<br />
Orders (CPOs) was approved at the<br />
council’s Policy and Resources Committee,<br />
which will accelerate the acquisition of<br />
properties and enable demolition to begin.<br />
Stirling Observer, 02/03/11<br />
Ineos China-UK oil<br />
refinery deal worth<br />
$1bn.<br />
Ineos have been offered $1bn (£626m) by<br />
PetroChina for a 50% share in its European<br />
refining business. The joint venture<br />
will include investment in refineries at<br />
Grangemouth and Lavéra in France and is<br />
expected to secure 2000 Scottish jobs.<br />
BBC, 31/01/11<br />
FVC Students Help<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Youth to be<br />
heard<br />
Two Forth Valley College students have<br />
been elected as MSYPs (Members of the<br />
Scottish Youth Parliament) for <strong>Falkirk</strong> East.<br />
The Scottish Youth Parliament is a nonpolitical,<br />
youth-led organisation that seeks<br />
to represent Scotland’s young people aged<br />
14-25. <strong>Falkirk</strong> West is also represented by<br />
two young people, all of whom are elected<br />
for a two year term.<br />
Forth Valley College website, 21/04/11<br />
The Wheel turns<br />
– major canalside<br />
regeneration scheme<br />
sails through planning<br />
Planning permission in principle has been<br />
granted for a mixed use scheme on a 58<br />
acre canalside site near the <strong>Falkirk</strong> Wheel.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and British Waterways are<br />
collaborating on the project to regenerate<br />
and revitalise the Forth & Clyde canal<br />
corridor.<br />
Compropscotland.com, 20.04.11<br />
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
New Grangemouth<br />
Bandstand has local flavour<br />
The provision of a new bandstand in Grangemouth<br />
town centre provided the opportunity for Grangemouth<br />
High pupils to add a local flavour. Pupils were invited to create<br />
designs, with the winning design being used for a feature slab which<br />
would be inlaid in the flooring in the centre of the performance space.<br />
The brief for the competition was to depict the history and character<br />
of the town, thinking about key landmarks like the oil refinery, Zetland<br />
Park, the War Memorial, the Docks and Town Hall, but to convey this in a<br />
design simple enough to be created in a 600mm x 600mm stone carving.<br />
A judging panel consisting of a local business representative, design<br />
architects Ironside Farrar, Town Centre Management and <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
selected 2nd year pupil, Jessica Wood’s design which has now been<br />
incorporated into the Grangemouth Events Space for all residents and<br />
visitors to enjoy. Jessica was presented with a replica plaque of her<br />
design by Provost Pat Reid as a memento of her involvement.<br />
The bandstand provides a contemporary performance space, compete<br />
with power point, which can be used flexibly to accommodate different<br />
types of performances and events in the town centre.<br />
Bo’ness Academy pupils get business<br />
experience with launch of community<br />
food project<br />
Pupils from Bo’ness Academy<br />
are being given the opportunity<br />
to develop their employability<br />
skills and gain hands-on work<br />
experience with the launch of the<br />
‘Bon Appétit’ food cooperative.<br />
The project, which has been designed to<br />
offer training and business experience to<br />
pupils in areas such as money-handling,<br />
food preparation and marketing, also<br />
provides staff and pupils with low cost,<br />
healthy food options.<br />
The key aims of the initiative are to provide<br />
opportunities for those S4/5 leavers who are<br />
at risk of not going into further training or<br />
employment when they leave school, with<br />
practical skills to assist them and give them<br />
an insight into employability.<br />
The project is run in partnership with<br />
local employer Caledonian Produce. It<br />
supplies the Bon Appétit co-operative with<br />
food products such as pasta, fruit and<br />
vegetables that may be surplus packs<br />
from a production run, or poorly presented.<br />
All products supplied are perfectly fit for<br />
consumption and have a minimum of two<br />
days use-by date. There is an extensive<br />
procedure manual in place to ensure all<br />
health and safety recommendations are<br />
followed.<br />
Initially the food cooperative has been<br />
set up at Bo’ness Academy, utilising a<br />
dedicated kitchen area within the school<br />
where food is stored, repackaged and<br />
made ready for collection or distribution.<br />
Food is currently being sold to staff and<br />
pupils, but the long-term plan is that the<br />
project will eventually reach out to the wider<br />
community.<br />
Members of the project have paid a fee of<br />
£2 to join with £1 allocated to the purchase<br />
of a reusable bag and £1 to join the project.<br />
Fifteen per cent of the income generated<br />
from sales goes towards extracurricular<br />
activities for the students involved the<br />
project, and they have already enjoyed a<br />
go-karting trip with their earnings.<br />
Kevin Rae, Learning Choices Coordinator<br />
at Bo’ness Academy, commented: “We<br />
are thrilled with the positive feedback we<br />
have received so far from the Bon Appétit<br />
project. Both pupils and staff have really got<br />
involved and it has been a great success.<br />
We’re now looking at options to expand the<br />
project within the wider community around<br />
Bo’ness and hope very much to build upon<br />
its initial success”.<br />
Glenn Hodgson, veterinary surgeon and co-manager of Apex Vets in<br />
Denny, opened the purpose-built Veterinary Centre, with fellow vet and<br />
business partner Douglas Paterson in September 2010.<br />
They invested their own capital into the project, and were also awarded money from the<br />
BP Loan Fund, which was set up in 2000 by BP in partnership with <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, Scottish<br />
Enterprise and <strong>Falkirk</strong> Enterprise Action Trust (now <strong>Falkirk</strong> For Business).<br />
Having studied, and practiced as vets across the UK, Glenn and Douglas decided to set up<br />
their own practice together and wanted to identify an area that had a real need for a first class<br />
veterinary centre that could also be a strong part of the community.<br />
Glenn talks about his experience of starting up his own business and the careful planning that<br />
went into Apex Vets before it was launched in September 2010.<br />
Best piece of business advice you ever<br />
received?<br />
This is an easy one. Treat others as you<br />
would like to be treated yourself.<br />
What makes your blood boil?<br />
Injustice followed closely by poor service.<br />
What makes you happy and contented?<br />
When everything is going well at home<br />
(family and friends) and at work (business<br />
and colleagues).<br />
In one sentence, what piece of advice<br />
could you offer to a new business?<br />
When working with some service companies<br />
plan everything well in advance and keep<br />
your finger on the pulse.<br />
Careful plans or big risks?<br />
Carefully planned risks!<br />
Going into business is always risk to some<br />
degree. Careful planning helps reduce risk<br />
and the associated stress. Prior to starting<br />
Apex Vets, my business partner and I found<br />
ourselves with a 120 page business plan!<br />
Best under pressure or well chilled?<br />
A bit of both please.<br />
Pressure is provided by the surgical and<br />
medical emergencies that arrive here<br />
daily. It is important to be able to thrive<br />
in this environment. When an emergency<br />
arrives the whole team gets into action. It<br />
is good to see everyone getting involved<br />
in an emergency case, from the vital client<br />
communication at the front desk through<br />
to animal monitoring and treatments in the<br />
kennels or operating theatre.<br />
A “well chilled” period following<br />
emergencies is always appreciated. It gives<br />
us time to tidy up and get ready for the next<br />
arrival; and to enjoy the more relaxing work<br />
like checking and vaccinating client’s new<br />
puppy/kitten!<br />
What makes you happy and contented?<br />
When everything is going well at home<br />
(family and friends) and at work (business<br />
and colleagues).<br />
talkback<br />
Glenn Hodgson,<br />
Apex Vets<br />
What has been the most difficult hurdle to<br />
overcome in business and how did you<br />
do it?<br />
Without doubt it was obtaining funding<br />
during a recession.<br />
This was overcome with a lot of keen<br />
planning, saving, help from the BP Business<br />
Loan Fund, utilisation of the Enterprise<br />
Finance Guarantee Scheme and a great<br />
deal of kind assistance from both my own<br />
and Douglas’s family members.<br />
Which famous person do you most<br />
admire and why?<br />
Chris Paterson, rugby player. Need I say<br />
why?<br />
Best deal?<br />
The best deals are the ones that work for<br />
both parties.<br />
In my previous employment the high case<br />
load allowed me to gain a lot of experience.<br />
My employers also felt that they were getting<br />
a good deal as I did plenty of work!<br />
Best recipe for winding down?<br />
Going for a walk in the country with my<br />
Fiancée and two Labradors.<br />
In a perfect world…<br />
Everyone is healthy and happy.<br />
Favourite place?<br />
Scotland. I have visited other countries<br />
briefly but they are just not the same.<br />
Dream car?<br />
Pagani Zonda R. I wouldn’t want one<br />
for keeps though; I think they are a little<br />
overpriced.<br />
Favourite city?<br />
Edinburgh. I really enjoyed being a student<br />
there and have lots of fond memories.<br />
Favourite book?<br />
Lord of the Rings.<br />
Hobbies?<br />
The dogs, a spot of fishing and a good<br />
competitive game of badminton.<br />
Favourite eaterie/restaurant?<br />
The Anchor in Dunipace. I am very biased<br />
as it is only a stone’s throw from my house.<br />
They ran a comedy night last month and the<br />
half time snacks went down a treat!<br />
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
falkirk business panel<br />
update event in march<br />
Members of the business panel came together in March for the annual<br />
update event, providing the opportunity to hear from <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
on all its activities affecting business. This year the business community were also<br />
invited to participate in discussion groups to give their feedback on a new business support<br />
strategy for the area.<br />
Rhona Geisler, Director of Development Services at <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> spoke about Tax Increment<br />
Financing and the Upper Forth Development Investment Zone. This project recognises the<br />
strengths of the <strong>Falkirk</strong>-Grangemouth area and the potential for the site to be of national<br />
significance. She outlined that Scottish Enterprise, <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> and Chemical Sciences<br />
Scotland have commissioned a study and framework to “provide a clear and common direction<br />
for future economic growth in the area”. Work is ongoing and this will be published in <strong>June</strong>.<br />
Julian Taylor, Director of Strategy and Economics at Scottish Enterprise then gave a lively and<br />
informative talk on the wider Scottish economy and how the <strong>Falkirk</strong> area compares, before<br />
the audience gathered into discussion groups to help inform the content of the new Business<br />
Support Strategy for the area.<br />
Since the event, the Business Support Strategy for the <strong>Falkirk</strong> Area has been approved by<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong>’s Economic Development and Strategy Committee. For a full write up of the<br />
discussion groups visit www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/results<br />
diary dates<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Business Exhibition <strong>2011</strong><br />
Friday 17 <strong>June</strong>, <strong>Falkirk</strong> Town Hall<br />
Visit the home page of www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk to register.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Business Panel Annual Conference<br />
Friday 23 September, MacDonald Inchyra Grange Hotel<br />
Further details will be added to www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk in due course.<br />
In this edition, the Economic Outlook<br />
column takes a look at some key statistics<br />
and what they say about the local economy<br />
of the <strong>Falkirk</strong> area.<br />
Business Demography<br />
In <strong>Falkirk</strong> there were 3,375 active businesses in 2009. There were<br />
400 business births, a birth rate of 11.8%, and there were 325 deaths<br />
(9.6%). The five-year survival rate for businesses born in 2004 and still<br />
active in 2009 was 43.2%.<br />
In Scotland as a whole, the comparable figures for 2009 are: 151,000<br />
active businesses, a birth rate of 9.8% and a death rate of 10.2%. The<br />
Scottish five-year survival rate for businesses born in 2004 and still<br />
active in 2009 was 47.5%.<br />
Although these figures for 2009 show that <strong>Falkirk</strong> compared<br />
favourably in terms of its birth and death rates, <strong>Falkirk</strong> has for many<br />
years had a lower stock of businesses for the size of its population<br />
than Scotland as a whole.<br />
Number of Active Business Enterprises per 1000 Working Population<br />
2004 2008 2009<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> 32.4 35.3 35.6<br />
Scotland 42.6 46.0 46.5<br />
The recently approved Business Support Strategy for the <strong>Falkirk</strong><br />
recognises that a healthy business birth rate is needed to maintain<br />
and enhance the business base. Increasing the business birth rate<br />
has been identified as a key priority of the strategy.<br />
Forecasts of Economic Growth<br />
The UK economy is currently forecast to grow at around +1.6% in<br />
<strong>2011</strong>. The average of several forecasters’ estimates for Scotland is<br />
also around 1.6% growth. This would be a slight improvement on<br />
Scotland’s growth rate in 2010.<br />
Mackay Consultants produce forecasts of economic growth at local<br />
authority level. In their Prospects for the Scottish Economy <strong>2011</strong>-2014,<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> is rated 7th highest of 32 council areas at an average annual<br />
increase of +2.38% over 4 years.<br />
economic outlook<br />
The Importance of<br />
Manufacturing<br />
The latest business statistics for Scotland show that the Gross Value<br />
Added (GVA) of the manufacturing sector was £13,985.6 million.<br />
Manufacturing in the <strong>Falkirk</strong> area contributed £1,546.3 million to<br />
Scottish GVA. Compared to all the other 32 local authorities in<br />
Scotland, <strong>Falkirk</strong> was the top local authority contributing 11.1% of<br />
Scotland’s manufacturing GVA, followed by Glasgow at 9%. The<br />
largest contributions to GVA within manufacturing came from the<br />
petro-chemicals industry.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> has a higher percentage of people employed within the<br />
manufacturing sector than Scotland as a whole, particularly within<br />
the chemicals and petro-chemicals industries and metal goods,<br />
mechanical engineering and transport equipment. In <strong>Falkirk</strong>,<br />
manufacturing accounts for 12.7% of total employment compared to<br />
the Scottish proportion of 7.9%.<br />
With a higher concentration of manufacturing than any other part of<br />
Scotland, <strong>Falkirk</strong> should be well placed to capitalise on export and<br />
other emerging opportunities as government seeks to re-balance<br />
the economy away from over-reliance on the financial sector, the<br />
domestic consumer and public services.<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong>, Scottish Enterprise and Chemical Sciences Scotland,<br />
in conjunction with local industry, are currently developing a<br />
framework which will provide a clear and common direction for future<br />
economic growth in the area’s key sectors.<br />
<strong>2011</strong> Census<br />
Most people will be aware that the date of the <strong>2011</strong> Census was<br />
Sunday 27th March. Once the data has been fully collected and<br />
analysed, the Census will provide a wealth of information about<br />
the local population, including information on the economy. The<br />
first results are expected in July 2012 and will be released over the<br />
following months.<br />
There will be figures on the numbers of people in employment, the<br />
types of jobs they have and the industries they work in. Data will be<br />
available on the qualifications held by local people and their travel<br />
to work patterns. All this will give everyone an insight into the local<br />
economy and help to plan for future developments.<br />
The <strong>Council</strong> will publish information on its website as it becomes<br />
available.<br />
For further information on economic statistics for the <strong>Falkirk</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> area, please follow the links:<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> as a location:<br />
www.myfuturesinfalkirk.co.uk/research<br />
The <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong> Research and Information web page:<br />
www.falkirk.gov.uk/statistics<br />
Issue 1 • <strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Looking for<br />
Business<br />
Property<br />
in the<br />
<strong>Falkirk</strong> Area?<br />
The Business Property Register is an<br />
ideal point of reference for companies or<br />
individuals looking for property in which to<br />
start a new business venture, relocate or<br />
expand an existing business.<br />
Visit www.falkirk.gov.uk/property or<br />
call Jennifer Anton at <strong>Falkirk</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
on 01324 590975.