Central Elgin Regeneration – Public Design Charrette Report Published

The Moray Council have approved and published the Central Elgin Regeneration: Public Design Charrette report outlining an ambitious vision for the Cathedral City supported by a development framework and prioritised action plan focussed on delivering town centre regeneration.

The Moray Council, on behalf of the Moray Economic Partnership and with funding support from Scottish Government, sponsored the Charrette which was led by Austin-Smith:Lord with regeneration consultants Douglas Wheeler Associates Ltd, property experts Ryden, Transport Planning Ltd, and arts collective WAVEparticle.

The aim of the Charrette, undertaken over five days in March 2015, was to engage local residents, businesses and stakeholders in planning the future of Central Elgin. More than 300 people were involved in fifteen different events to help shape their community and develop an array of realistic, but transformational, projects to revitalise the historic centre, rejuvenate Cooper Park (the largest in Moray) and redefine the role for Lossie Green following the completion of the town’s flood defences.

Prior to, and during, the Charrette secondary school pupils and Moray College students participated in various interactive workshops and events facilitated by Peter McCaughey, Director of WAVEparticle. Local businesses, Elgin BID and local landowners and developers participated in thematic, focussed sessions targeting economic development and regeneration in central Elgin. As a result the Council have committed to funding a Development Officer tasked with bringing vacant and underused properties back in to use on the High Street.

Graham Ross, Partner, who led the Charrette team said, “the Central Elgin Charrette demonstrated the benefit of collaborative working between the local authorities, community and businesses. The challenges Elgin faces are common to many towns in Scotland, but the solutions are unique. Elgin has some fantastic assets as a legacy of its rich history, the presence of the College, some forward thinking businesses and many passionate and committed members of the community capable of helping drive the rejuvenation of the town. Hopefully the findings of the Charrette helps optimise the benefit of these assets and focuses efforts to secure funding to progress change in the short, medium and longer-term.”

The Charrette report can be viewed at the following link: https://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file100757.pdf