Thank you for all your feedback to the consultation on initial ideas for the town centre masterplan and Alexandria 2030 vision that took place in May and June 2021.

You can see the consultation ideas and people's responses on the Town Centre and 2030 Vision pages. If you would like to see all of people's consultation responses in one place, please click on this link.

Check out What's next to see what will happen next.

Alexandria town centre needs to improve to fulfil its role as the heart of the Vale.

cartoon heart cartoon heart

To make this a reality, the Council is preparing a masterplan for the town centre. This will be used to guide activities over the next 15 years and secure resources to make things happen. The purpose of the consultation in May-June 2021 was to ask if we’re on the right track.

The masterplan will comprise a number of projects in the town centre. You can see what was proposed in the May-June 2021 consultation in the plan below. Click on each suggested project to see more information about it and a summary of the consultation responses.

No single project will turn the town centre around, but taken together we believe that they will help make the town centre more active, more attractive and more accessible.

Responses Overview

In the May-June 2021 consultation responses, people were asked to rate the importance of each of the 12 projects on a scale of 1 (thumbs down) to 5 (thumbs up). The two graphs below show the results. Please tap on the graphs or hover over them with your mouse for details.

It is worth noting that all projects scored above average in terms of popular importance – between 3.5 and 4.6 out of 5.

Q1 Average score for each proposal

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Number of people scoring (Q1) and commenting (Q2) on each proposal

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Main Street

Wider and better pavements, easier to cross the road, stopping illegal parking, better lighting, canopy repairs, more greenery, seating and car park signage and links... these are the ideas proposed along Main Street between the Smollett Fountain and the CE Centre. 

The aim is to make Main Street more attractive for people to spend time in, supporting businesses and community life. 

There will be more consultation as detailed proposals are worked up. 

Before / After

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Main Street img 1

Before/ After

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Before/ After

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Main Street project:

  • Mixed views for and against.
  • Concerns that narrowing Main Street will result in traffic blockages from illegal parking, deliveries and buses, and cause increased traffic on Middleton Street.
  • Concern expressed about creating another situation like the centre of Balloch.
  • Parking enforcement will be essential to avoid the road being blocked.
  • The road needs to be wide enough for buses to pass.
  • Maintenance will be important.
  • Pedestrian crossings and disabled access essential.
  • More greenery and the better pavements are not enough on their own - need to attract wider range of businesses in order to attract more people.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Smollett Fountain

The Council has already committed funding for restoration of the Smollett Fountain, including improving the setting and road junction to improve pedestrian safety and traffic management.  Design work is well advanced and work should start this year.  

Temporary changes are currently being trialled on site, including changes to the traffic lights. Any comments you have on those temporary changes will help to inform permanent improvements.

Smollet Fountain

To celebrate the importance of this listed structure, which sits on the junction of Bank Street and Main Street and represents the ‘heart’ of Alexandria, the Council has committed funding for the restoration of the fountain and general upgrading of its surroundings. The aims are also to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety whilst also allowing traffic to move through the junction in a courteous and slower manner by altering traffic management priorities.

Work will be undertaken in three phases. The first phase has already started on site in Spring 2021. This phase of work is a temporary trial funded by Sustrans. The changes to pedestrian crossings and the management of traffic will be monitored and observations used to refine the second phase of work due to start in Summer 2021: permanent changes to the road and pavement layout.

The third and final phase will be refurbishment works to the fountain itself, which was last restored in 1996. The proposals include a creative lighting using a ‘Fountain of Light’ concept. We know that people are also keen to see reinstatement of the disconnected water supply to the gravity fed fountain. Unfortunately we will not know whether this is possible until investigative work is completed as part of the current trial works.

  • Fountain of Light with annotaions
  • Fountain of Light in amber colour
  • Fountain of Light in blue colour
  • Fountain of Light in maroon colour
  • Fountain of Light in red colour
smollet fountain plans

Before/ After

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Before/ After

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Smollett Fountain project:

  • Concerns about traffic flow, road width and long vehicles turning.
  • Many comments referred to the impact of the current temporary works, such as inconsistent lane widths and queues.
  • Comments on details included locations of planters and details of road layout.
  • Good to restore heritage and get the Fountain working again.
  • Some people support improvement of the Fountain but are concerned about the road changes.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Property Improvements

Many town centre properties are in poor condition. We want to explore what can be done to improve them and make them more attractive for new uses. 

This will require working with building owners and finding funding for things like building repairs, painting,  shopfront improvements, re-use of upper floors and so on.

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Property Improvements project:

  • Many buildings are very rundown and need attention.
  • Good to support business, high rents are an issue too.
  • A more uniform look and restoring heritage would be good.
  • Need to work with owners and businesses.
  • Should public money be spent on this?

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Mitchell Way

Demolition of the vacant buildings on the south side of Mitchell Way, improved public spaces and construction of a new supermarket (Lidl are currently interested).  The plan below show how Mitchell Way could be redeveloped with a new supermarket, public space and commercial/residential development.

mitchell way plan

Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Mitchell Way project:

  • Major eyesore and an urgent priority.
  • Mixed views on the need for another supermarket.
  • Need to see more detail of how the public space would look, how the redevelopment would attract more businesses, and how the supermarket would support the existing town centre.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

New Homes

This would be a big transformational project covering a large area between Mitchell Way, Bank Street and Bridge Street, on either side of the railway station. 

It would include:
  • 100-200 new good-quality affordable homes.  
  • Supporting facilities like green space, play areas and so on.
  • Removal of the big roundabout around the railway station and reinstate old direct routes of Bank Street and Chapel Street.
  • Improvements to the railway station.

The aim is to achieve:
  • More people living in the town centre - and therefore more footfall for businesses.
  • More good quality homes for local residents.
  • Make it easier to walk and cycle between Bonhill Bridge and the town centre, by removing the roundabout around the station.

The work would be carried out in stages and would take 5-10 years.  The first step would be to undertake a feasibility study to work out potential types of homes, site plans, supporting facilities and infrastructure, costs, sources of funding and phasing.  

Good design quality for new homes, streets and green spaces would be a priority.

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for New Homes project:

  • Widespread support for new homes, although some negative views also.
  • Affordable homes are needed especially to keep young people in the area.
  • Proposals need to include parking, roads, schools, shops, green spaces and play areas, including’20 minute neighbourhood’ concept. Homes should be houses rather than flats, eco-friendly, high quality and good design.
  • Mixed views on removing the roundabout around the station: some suggest it will improve access from Bonhill to the town centre, others are concerned about impact on traffic flow.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Alexandria Library

We want to encourage more life and activity in the town centre, by investing in community buildings and spaces so that there is more indoor and outdoor space for events and activities in the town centre.  The increased footfall would also help town centre businesses.

For Alexandria Library, funding has already been secured to install a lift and refurbish the upstairs space for community use (for example, a youth theatre) and new space for exhibitions about the Vale's heritage - including Turkey Red, Argyll Motor Works and Renton FC winning the world championship. 

Future work could include opening up the Library garden as a community space, heritage trails, projects with local schools, and events space and better lighting in front of the Library.

Before/ After

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library plan

Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Alexandria Library project:

  • General support for improving and making more of it, good for the community.
  • Lots of ideas for how to use the new community spaces inside the building.
  • Limited support for proposed changes to the road outside.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Viresco Studios

Viresco Studios is transforming the former St Andrews Church on Main Street, opposite the CE Centre, into new arts and creative activities and studios.  The Studios will provide cultural and art opportunities to people who would not normally access them, increasing pride in Alexandria and its connections to a larger audience through Scotland and beyond as it attracts and welcomes visitors.

The project recently received major Scottish Government funding and is now in progress.

Find out more on the Viresco Studios website.

former St Andrew Church courtesy Google Streetview

Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Viresco Studios project:

  • Good to have something creative like this, especially for young people.
  • Needs to be accessible and open to the whole community.
  • Need to conserve the historic fabric of the church, graves and so on.
  • Need to coordinate with other initiatives like the CE Centre, library, and Lomond Galleries.
  • Questions over use of public funding for a project on property currently in private ownership.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

CE Centre

We want to encourage more outdoor events and activities in the town centre in existing event spaces like Christie Park and the CE Centre car park.  This would increase community activity, bring more people into the town centre, and help town centre businesses.

The car park between the CE Centre and Overton Street could be improved to make it easier to organise more events, as shown in the visualisation below.


Before/ After

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for CE Centre project:

  • Support for more markets, local music events etc.
  • Concern about reduction in parking, especially because it is a busy car park with disabled spaces.
  • CE Centre needs a makeover to.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Green Heritage Corridors

More trees, greenery and flowers in the town centre including along Main Street, to Christie Park, and down to the Barry the Cat mural on the river. 

As well as brightening up the streets, improving walking and cycling and bringing in more nature, these ‘Green Heritage Corridors’ would create lots of opportunities for local residents, schools and community groups to be involved in artwork, better play facilities, growing food, tree planting and nature trails.

Some of this greening could be temporary until gap sites are developed. The visualisation below shows one possible example of how these temporary greening could look on a currently vacant site on Bank Street, subject to funding and necessary agreements.

green corridors plan

Before/ After

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Before/ After

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Green Heritage Corridors project:

  • Mixed views, but widespread support for improvements like this.
  • Some concerns about future maintenance.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Cycling and Walking Network

A network of safe walking and cycle routes making it easier to get to the town centre from different parts of the Vale, so folk can safely walk and cycle to school, to the town centre or to meet friends.  

The network can become a focus to encourage people to get outdoors and be active, including organising community events like walking groups and cycling festivals.

The network should link with the National Cycle Network along the river, and encourage visitors walking and cycling between Dumbarton and Loch Lomond to come into the town centre and see what it has to offer.

plan

Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Cycling and Walking Network project:

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Christie Park

Christie Park is a wonderful asset for the town in so many ways: a beautiful historic green space in the heart of the town, and a place for everything from big community events to simply enjoying some peace and quiet.  

Ideas for improvements to the Park include:

  • Path link to the hospital.
  • Reopening the toilets.
  • Renovation of the War Memorial.
  • More community activities like family fun, heritage and nature walks, and arts events. 
  • Anchor for the Green Heritage Corridors.

img 1
by Eddie Mackinnon is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
img 2
by Son of Groucho is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Christie Park project:

  • Much support, the park is seen as a great asset.
  • Popular improvement ideas include toilets, café, kiosk, bandstand, potting green, improved toddlers area, better maintenance, path link to hospital, community activities, less antisocial behaviour.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Lomond Galleries

The former Argyll Motor Works is a wonderful building with some great businesses inside.  But how can we make more of its untapped potential?  

Since the building and forecourt are privately owned, all we can do at this stage is to put forward ideas.  For example:

  • More events in the forecourt? For example, historic car shows harking back to its heyday as the Argyll Motor Works, outdoor heritage exhibitions for locals and tourists, or showcasing local businesses with events or popups.
  • New landscaping, recreational space, lightshows and art installations in front of the building and in the empty facade towards Heather Avenue? 
  • A new modern extension at the Heather Avenue end of the building for more business space, arts studios or apartments?

The plan and visualisations below offer some ideas of how the Galleries could be enhanced in the future.  Please note that these ideas do not necessarily represent the views of the owner.

plan

Before/ After

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Consultation comments

As well as scoring each project for its importance, people were given the opportunity to provide other comments to help take each project forward. Below is the summary of the main points for Lomond Galleries project:

  • A beautiful historic asset for the Vale but underused.
  • Great scope to attract visitors and locals for events, arts and so on.
  • Bring back the former car boot sale!
  • Conversion to flats suggested by some people.
  • Some suggest that the Council should step in, others say not.

Please refer to Consultation Report to read individual comments in full.

Below you can see some of the comments people have left on each project. You can read them all in Consulatation Report.

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Need major improvements in the lomond galleries! Was once a great shopping centre, now has like 4 shops and not inviting for young people! Pot holes everywhere and just looks dull from the outside

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Beautiful historic building about time

Comment on Main Street project:

Narrowing Main Street is crazy.This street needs a traffic warden at a fraction of the cost of these half baked ideas.

Comment on New Homes project:

No comment I tried to give this a thumb down but for some unknown reason it wasn’t accepted

Comment on CE Centre project:

Why would you reduce parking after making the road narrower?

Comment on New Homes project:

More people living in the town centre isn't the key to more footfall. Shops that people actually want to use is. The current selection of bookmakers, charity shops and chemists isn't exactly screaming for people to visit

Comment on Smollett Fountain project:

Get started as quickly as possible!

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Terrific ideas for a wonderful building. Should be used for events and arts projects.

Comment on Green Heritage Corridors project:

Apologies for the language but the expression you can roll a shit in glitter comes to mind

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Bring back markets here

Comment on Cycling and Walking Network project:

More disabled access !!

Comment on Cycling and Walking Network project:

Only if cyckusts stick to designated cycle paths, am fed up dodging adults on bikes while walking on pavements.

Comment on CE Centre project:

Reinstate the band stand in Christie Park and have a small Cafeteria close to play area.

Comment on Cycling and Walking Network project:

teset

Comment on Mitchell Way project:

The information provided is very limited. What will the public space look like? What commercial premises or community facilities are proposed?

Comment on Mitchell Way project:

This is a ready made space for shops and where a character can be reintroduced .... this should be the heart of the vale ....... it does not need another low level supermarket ............ its need a world class park and hotel etc etc.

Comment on CE Centre project:

I agree this is important. However if you want people to use the town centre there NEEDS to be parking. Especially when the redesign for Main Street is going to remove parking along there. The above plan halves a significant large car park.

Comment on Smollett Fountain project:

Personally I don't think Alexandria needs any new cobblestone on the roads.

Comment on Christie Park project:

Yes! Absolutely yes!!!

Comment on Alexandria Library project:

Apart from wider pavement and landscaping what’s different

Comment on Alexandria Library project:

Absolute waste of money. Just a council building vanity project.

Comment on Christie Park project:

Need to get rid of teenagers hanging around making it uncomfortable to walk in in the evening

Comment on Mitchell Way project:

How about informing the two businesses still in the south side of Mitchell Way of these moves to demolish and what will happen. People working there have no clue about what is actually going on.

Comment on Alexandria Library project:

Lovely idea. It would be great to create a community garden and kitchen as well

Comment on Mitchell Way project:

This has been a long time coming but again Mitchell Way is WDC’s shame. It has been left to rot for way too long with no way back. We shouldn’t have to live in this hovel.

Comment on Property Improvements project:

Love how you use a shop front which already is at a high standard! This should be used as a bench mark for the rest of buildings that are nit up to scratch!

Comment on Green Heritage Corridors project:

Would make the area more appealing

Comment on New Homes project:

When you say homes?, you mean flats, no doubt, plenty of one bedroom flats to push people into isolation with no front of back garden therefore no social life and life to sit in a garden in the sunshine, but never mind you wont be living in them.

Comment on Christie Park project:

Having good toilets would be great. We use this park alot

Comment on Cycling and Walking Network project:

Much needed and long overdue. Please include street play equipment for children, spaces for creatives to perform, recycling facilities ect.

Comment on Alexandria Library project:

This is a very good project and would greatly enhance the area

Comment on CE Centre project:

Great idea!

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Make it into a venue where local + tourists want to come

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Important to maintain this listed building

Comment on Smollett Fountain project:

Turning this area into the same idea that has been done in Balloch is a nightmare, pedestrians think it is an area to freely cross, surely seeing how bad Balloch is now you wouldn't duplicate the same mistakes

Comment on Smollett Fountain project:

It would help improve our town center

Comment on Property Improvements project:

Attracting more business to the area is paramount

Comment on Mitchell Way project:

I don't see any planned parking in this section

Comment on New Homes project:

Traffic on the roundabout works fine, a traffic flow study needs to be done to see how/if the traffic moves freely in the area then adapt plans to accommodate that. Without proper vehicle access the area will die .

Comment on Main Street project:

Mitchell way should be the priority as footfall on main st is high and the path/ lane is used by a minority. The lanes leading to Mitchell way are used more and in worse condition.

Comment on Property Improvements project:

Someone should check the colours of the properties. Taxis operate at night and their colour needs to be visible, but eg that lurid pink that used to be on the beautician at the fountain was awful - very unattractive.

Comment on Smollett Fountain project:

Improved facades for empty shops or charity shops, why would I want to stay here?

Comment on New Homes project:

Mitchell Way was probably "good quality affordable housing" in its day, make them future proof, continue to invest.

Comment on Smollett Fountain project:

It works as it is,put the filter lane back to bank st

Comment on Main Street project:

Need better shops than hairdressers and takeaways. Affordable clothing shops would be ideal for the younger generation to encourage them to the main street.

Comment on Main Street project:

Just double yellow road now and ENFORCE it

Comment on Green Heritage Corridors project:

Proposed idea look excellent

Comment on Lomond Galleries project:

Who are we trying attract? What is the purpose of this proposal.

Comment on Mitchell Way project:

Improve parking to encourage customers Think about a market again

Comment on Christie Park project:

Beautiful park years ago but WDC scaled back staff to the bare minimum great guys in there do the best they can on limited time
Visit 2030 Vision page