Scottish Parliament committee visits Dumfries as part of town centre inquiry

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee visited Dumfries yesterday as part of the inquiry into town centres and retail.

Convener Claire Baker MSP and committee members took a walking tour before holding a meeting with local stakeholders and business owners.

They also visited the pioneering Midsteeple Quarter buildings in the High Street which are being brought back into public use.

The MSPs learned more about the success of the venture, which is reshaping part of the Dumfries town centre, through a chat with the community-led regeneration project’s executive director, Scott Mackay, and had a look at current works and other buildings in the Midsteeple Quarter.

The committee is trying to identify “the new realities of retail and ecommerce in Scotland and the resulting impact on town centres” as well as the current challenges faced by traders, and to see how the Scottish Government and local policies can create resilient town centres for the future.

South of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth, who is a member of the committee, said: “It was great to be able to welcome committee members to my home town and to show off the fantastic work of the Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries.

“It is a community-benefit company that anyone can join and it is literally taking back the High Street shop by shop.

“It is beginning to invest in the mix of uses that our town centres need – retail, community space and housing – and, crucially, it is responding to the needs of the community.

“The co-operative principle is that local people have the innovative solutions for their town and should have a local stake in its future through community ownership.”

He added: “Scotland’s town centres have traditionally been the heartbeat of our communities bringing people together to live, work, shop and socialise.

“However, traditional town centres are under pressure and under threat, with too many shops closing and too many high streets dominated by to let signs. Changing retail trends, including the growth in ecommerce and the expansion of retail park alternatives, combined with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, continue to create a difficult trading environment.

“Our inquiry is seeking to bring forward recommendations to demonstrate how Scotland’s town centres can thrive in this post pandemic world and be vibrant, resilient and accessible places which meet the economic, social and environmental needs of our communities.”