September 13 2023

South Lanarkshire Council has set the scene for the most dramatic overhaul of Scotland's first and biggest new town since its formation in 1947.

A masterplan prepared by ThreeSixty Architecture shows how the settlement can be repositioned to meet future challenges with a savage 42% reduction in retail floorspace to address 75 vacant shop units and 507,000 square feet of empty floorspace at present.

Billed as a mechanism to forestall the blight of vacant shopfronts which has afflicted other towns the radical surgery is seen as crucial to establishing a more urban centre led by 400 new homes and a planned new hotel at Centre West. Anchored by a new supermarket at the Olympia Mall entrance the mixed-use development would centre on the existing shopping centre, including the demolition of Centre West to establish a new urban neighbourhood.

Threesixty Architecture said: “Delivering a high-quality urban environment is key. We need to transform the shopping centre from an island in the middle of East Kilbride into the heart of the town by creating a permeable, safe and accessible environment.”

Centrepiece of this vision would be a flagship civic hub that would define the new East Kilbride as a place to access public services, arts and education, fronting a new square that would become a focal point for residents. Led by South Lanarkshire Council, owner and occupier of parts of the town centre, the masterplan will be delivered with private sector support.

David Booth, executive director of community and enterprise, said: “We are also the effective custodians of the town centre and we want a successful East Kilbride as part of a successful South Lanarkshire. Without strategic intervention, the town centre will continue to decline and fall further behind its neighbours. We therefore need to show ambition to realise the town’s potential.”

De-emphasising the use of private cars for access to the masterplan will enhance pedestrian space and improve public transport connections.

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Ugh on 13 Sep 2023 at 12:53 PM

Still way too car-dominated by the looks.

#2 Posted by Robin B's Discount on 14 Sep 2023 at 11:08 AM

We should just ban cars to keep Ugh happy. Who even needs a ruddy car in a commuter town....

#3 Posted by Ugh on 14 Sep 2023 at 11:20 AM

Please, that would be great, thanks :)

#4 Posted by do as you say on 15 Sep 2023 at 10:17 AM

The shopping centre does need transformed away from a retail island which will take some vision but I cannot see in this where the vision is. A few isolated portions of site planning doesn’t appear to get anywhere near the stated aims for this. The new hub is boxed in by retail and car parking and is not focal point for the town. It needs connectivity and relevance to the other features of the town centre and beyond. The cafe, bound on its sunny south and west sides by surface parking , is more akin to a drive in Macdonald’s than a key point of a new urban space - be careful with those selective render viewpoints. The housing is entirely boxed in by cars on both the outside and inside of the blocks - the again selective render shows the only portion which is not road or car parking - rather than any sort of new urban neighbourhood- it is another island. And why demolish a load of retail only to build more - a new supermarket is hardly transformational. It need a wide masterplan which recognises what a town centre needs - saying it is a high quality …… permeable, safe and accessible environment does not make it one. It needs heart surgery not first aid.

#5 Posted by Passerby on 15 Sep 2023 at 17:53 PM

#4 agree but you're aware that EK is a car users paradise? Trying to wean the gammons out of their comforter boxes takes time and won't be done overnight.

Post your comments