COSLA
EXCELLENCE
AWARDS
2011
2011 APPLICATION FORM
Please refer to the ‘2011 Guidance for Applicants’ before completing this application
form.
The deadline for submission of entries is 5pm on Friday 8 October 2010. Further
guidance is available at http://www.awards.cosla.gov.uk. Submission arrangements
are detailed at the end of this application form.
The application form is split over four sections to reflect the assessment criteria, and to
facilitate the leeting process. It is up to you to decide the content and length of each
section, but your application must not exceed three pages in total (excluding the
cover pages).
CATEGORY TITLE One To Watch
Project Name Paisley Town Centre Retail Initiative
Lead Organisation Renfrewshire Council
Department/ Team Planning and Transport Services
Participant or Partner
Names
Award coordinator
Contact details
1. Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce
2. Strathclyde Police
3. University of the West of Scotland
4. Airparks Limited
5. Ashtree House
6. RCVS
7. SPT
8. Marks and Spencers
9. Piazza Shopping Centre
10. Paisley Shopping Centre
Pauline Moss
Pauline.moss@renfrewshire.gov.uk, 0141 840 3611
Can we publish this application form on our website?
FOR INTERNAL USE
YES / NO
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
In one short paragraph please describe this project and what it has achieved.
We will use this in any future publicity material.
The creation of a successful and attractive town centre for Paisley is a key corporate priority for the Council and a passionate
issue for local people. In recent years Paisley has faced challenges, particularly from decentralisation and out of centre
developments, which impact upon the retail performance and image of the town. In view of these challenges, over the last
few years, a new and innovative Action Plan provided a framework for a range of initiatives to refresh the town centre and
introduce a diverse mix of uses and functions. Despite considerable successes the problem remained as to how to attract
businesses back into the High Street and how to create a unique selling point for Paisley which would, once again, restore the
High Street to its former glory and become a busy shopping area again.
Following an extensive period of research and consultation the Paisley Town Centre Retail Initiative seeks to establish
Paisley as the destination for outlet and value retail, providing a unique ‘selling point’ for the town centre, increasing retail
footfall and establishing a sustainable retail offer. The project will involve marketing the town centre to potential occupiers
and providing support packages to encourage retailers to locate in Paisley.
Scotland’s largest town is on the up again – we’re one to watch.
PLANNING
· a clear rationale, defined processes and focus on stakeholder needs
· contributes to organisation’s goals, community plan and SOA, and national policy context
For some years, it has been apparent that Paisley town centre has been in decline, and, in 2006, Renfrewshire Council, the
Paisley Vision Board, and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire commissioned a Report from Yellow Book to identify an
appropriate strategy to regenerate and positively transform the town centre. Following this report, a 10 year action plan was
implemented by the Council. Whilst some improvements have resulted from the first three or so years activity, much more
has to be done, particularly with regards to the level of voids, some particularly long term, within the town centre in general
and the High Street in particular.
The Paisley Vision Board has, for some time, been concerned about the performance of Paisley town centre. Its aim is to
bring new life to Paisley town centre, and we believe that successful regeneration of the town centre will benefit the whole
town - businesses and residents alike. The Vision Board wants people to spend more time in the town centre. That means not
only having a good range of shops, but also more events and activities, a strong economy, a good employment base, more
and better residential property, and better quality maintenance of the townscape and public realm. Building on the town
centre's many strengths, the Vision Board has a long term strategy to transform it from a primarily retail centre to a diverse
and contemporary mix of uses and functions. One of the aims of the Vision Board’s strategy is to bring vacant and underused
premises back into productive use. In terms of retailing, there is particular concern about prominent vacant units on and
around the High Street.
The Board believes that innovative approaches are required to tackle these issues, especially in the face of strong
competition from the nearby retail centres at Braehead, Silverburn and Glasgow city centre. It therefore decided in 2009 to
commission consultants to undertake a feasibility study to establish the potential viability of attracting outlet and value
operators to Paisley town centre.
The Vision Board’s feasibility study to establish the potential viability of attracting outlet and value operators to Paisley town
centre was completed in early 2010. The study considered supply of appropriate floorspace, attitudes of major town centre
retail landlords to the concept, demand from a selection of potential operators, and a high level catchment assessment. It
concluded that this innovative concept is potentially deliverable, provided that a co-ordinated action plan is followed. Key
findings included:

A majority of the value/outlet retailers contacted were, in principle, interested in the potential of operating in the town
centre.

The landlords of the major retail centres in the town centre (the Piazza and the Paisley Centre) are supportive of the
initiative.

All existing retailers in the town centre that they contacted were supportive of the initiative and felt that it would help to
revive the town centre as a retail destination.

The consultants believe there to be a market among consumers in the urban areas surrounding Paisley town centre,
especially those connected to it by train and bus services, and those in a 30 minute drive time zone, for an expanded
value/outlet offer of the type envisaged.
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
The conversion of the existing Marks and Spencer store to outlet format provides Paisley with the acknowledged UK
number 1 outlet retailer as a ready made anchor.
The regeneration of town and village centres is identified as a key priority of Renfrewshire Council and the Action Plan has
been prepared within the context of the suite of documents which set out Renfrewshire corporate strategy:Well designed, sustainable places, improving the vitality of town centres and sustaining the local economy are all
specifically identified in Renfrewshire Council Plan (pp20, 36 and 41) as priorities.
The Community Plan emphasises that making Renfrewshire's town centres more attractive places to live, visit and invest
contributes to sustainable economic growth (pp12, 19 and 20).
The regeneration of Renfrewshire's town centres is identified in the area's Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) as one of
the Council’s key corporate initiatives, in particular relating to National Outcome 1: ‘We live in a Scotland that is the
most attractive place for doing business in Europe’.
DELIVERING
· implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders
· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
The retail function of the town centre was complex and affected by a range of issues, particularly changing retail trends and
competition from out of town developments. In this context the Council considered that a proactive and innovative approach
was necessary to establish a sustainable retail function within the town centre. A feasibility study was undertaken over the
last year to consider retail patterns within the area and detailed discussions were held with market specialists, retailers and
landlords to both establish views on a future strategy and secure support for a new partnership approach. The feasibility
study provided an improved understanding of the Paisley retail market and crucially, identified a consumer market within
urban areas adjacent to Paisley which would support a retail outlet format. The Paisley Town Centre Retail Initiative seeks to
establish Paisley as the destination for outlet and value retail, providing a unique ‘selling point’ for the town centre,
increasing retail footfall and establishing a sustainable retail offer. The project will involve marketing the town centre to
potential occupiers and providing support packages to encourage retailers to locate in Paisley.
In terms of delivery the initiative is at the very early stages however considerable planning, research and consultation has
taken place. Key actions include:
 Scottish government minister, Stewart Stevenson launched the innovative initiative in June this year.
 Renfrewshire Council commissioned a team of experts Colliers International - the world’s third largest commercial real
estate organisation – to target potential retailers and encourage them to open their outlet stores in Paisley.
 Empty shop fronts are being given a makeover, so they are more attractive to potential retailers when they visit the
empty premises.
 New retailers could benefit from a support package, which includes grant aid, fast-tracking of regulatory approvals,
helping private landlords revise their commercial expectations and the plan to promote Paisley town centre through a
series of public events and marketing initiatives.
STAKEHOLDERS: The Paisley Vision Board (a wide range of public, private and voluntary partners) championed the strategy
and action plan and presented a new vision for the town centre, mobilising the resources of the public sector in support of a
recovery plan. They communicated Renfrewshire wide (and beyond) through a Website, the production of 80,000
newsletters 3 times per year, an ongoing public relations strategy and the introduction of the Paisley brand. The Board’s key
responsibilities were: developing a 5-year business plan, championing the new vision, working with the private sector to
deliver development, mobilising public sector resources, ensuring that complementary infrastructure, public realm and
cultural projects are delivered, performance management. This partnership Board would drive the changes required.
In addition the landlords and key retail agents for the town centre were instrumental in pulling together the brief for this
initiative and have stayed involved throughout the process.
INNOVATION +
LEADING PRACTICE
· Demonstrates leading practice
· Achieves genuine innovation or new ways of working
The success to date has, in many circumstances, been based around unconventional and innovative thinking. The unique
partnership between the public and private sector has allowed for a mix of ideas and initiatives to come together for the
benefit of the common goal – the increased prosperity of Paisley. Innovative approaches over the last few years include:
Working towards the first Quality Bus partnership in Scotland
Utilising the Scottish Governments Town Centre Regeneration Fund to establish a joint venture for a key retail site
Successful public private partnerships
Use of internationally recognised Paisley pattern into a unique brand for Paisley.
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Paisley is evolving into Scotland’s first Town Centre Outlet Town. While the project is presently in the initial stages, a
measure of potential success lies within the feasibility study undertaken by the Council, which identified a consumer market
for a retail outlet format. In particular this is evidenced by the success of the existing Marks and Spencer outlet store within
the town centre, which provides an established anchor. The initiative has the support of existing retailers and particularly
landlords of the major centres (the Paisley Centre and the Piazza) within the town centre. Crucially, the retailers identified
within the feasibility study indicated that they would be interested in both the outlet concept and Paisley as a destination.
The project will have a significant impact as part of the regeneration of Paisley town centre. In particular, the project
supports the sustainability of Paisley as the natural retail centre for the wider area, encouraging investment, creating new
jobs and promoting the use of sustainable modes of transport.
Part of the leading practise and innovation is the level of partnership and community buy-in to the Paisley regeneration
process. By continuing to work together and by encouraging all parties to recognise the benefits of doing so, the partnership
continues to build a bright and prosperous future for Paisley Town Centre. The Partnership also ensures that the
developments are more sustainable.
RESULTS + IMPACT
· a convincing mix of customer perception and internal performance measures
· clear line of sight to the delivery of the Single Outcome Agreement
· a full range of relevant results showing improvement over time
Paisley Town Centre aims to once again becoming a bustling mix of culture, business and new homes. Massive investment is
transforming the town centre as a place to live, work and visit. People are spending more time in Paisley and significant
progress has been made in terms of the range of shops, increased activities and events, a stronger economy, more
employment, better and more residential properties, and better quality maintenance of the townscape and public realm.
Delivering this long term transformation has begun and much has been achieved but things are at an early stage and there is
more in the pipeline.
An evaluation framework has been implemented to monitor and consider the effectiveness of the overall town centre
strategy. Specific outcomes and results include the level of void properties and footfall within the town centre, the number
of retailer enquiries received and the number of retail businesses assisted to locate within Paisley. The outcomes of the
evaluation process will then be used to identify arising issues and the measures necessary to address these.
This project is “One to Watch” and is in the early stages of development with a range of very specific targets regarding filling
empty shop units, increased footfall in the town centre, increased employment opportunities still to be met. However some
examples of meeting or exceeding targets to date include:
At the heart of the Town Centre Strategy was an ongoing investment programme, with £10M of public funds levering in
over £50M of private investment. Despite the economic downturn this figure has been exceeded with approximately
£70M committed or in the pipeline.
2009, the Paisley brand launched and appearing on High St banners, town perimeter signage, advertising, event posters
etc. A particular success is the high number of individual companies who proudly display and use the branding.
Road improvements – major public consultations and actions completed.
Approval to create a quality bus partnership between the council and SPT.
Major new residential development on the site of the former Council H.Q. – private sector led with affordable housing
element negotiated with Link Housing.
New (500) student residences underway.
Joint venture company established (Council and Park Lane Developments) to transform former Arnotts site.
Levering additional public sector funding valued at £4M (Scottish Government, THI, CARs scheme)
Ultimately, the project will assist in realising the key objectives of the approved Town Centre Action Plan and those set out in
the Renfrewshire’s Single Outcome Agreement, Council Plan and Community Plan. Recent feedback from the Community
Planning conferences show increased support for the Town Centre developments and Paisley proposals being classed as the
top priority of the local community. The Community are embracing the town centre changes and the local area committees
are acting as ambassadors for the “Paisley Is ...” campaign showing that they genuinely think that ...
And with that kind of commitment, we think Paisley is “one to watch”.
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Next steps
 Have you answered the assessment criteria set out in the guidance?
 Is your application form 3 pages or less? (anything more, including
appendices, will be automatically rejected)
 Has your application form been authorised by an appropriate person?
 Have you indicated whether you wish the application form to be
published?
Submitting your application
Please email your application by 8 October to:
Category 1 submissions
exawards2011-1@cosla.gov.uk
Category 2 submissions
exawards2011-2@cosla.gov.uk
Category 3 submissions
exawards2011-3@cosla.gov.uk
Category 4 submissions
exawards2011-4@cosla.gov.uk
Category 5 submissions
exawards2011-5@cosla.gov.uk
Category 6 submissions
exawards2011-6@cosla.gov.uk
Category 7 submissions
exawards2011-7@cosla.gov.uk
Queries surrounding the submission of applications can be made to:
Adam Stewart (adam.stewart@cosla.gov.uk / 0131 474 9275)