It is self-evident Scotland's uninspiring and rundown town centres need to be the focus of effective plans to make them vibrant again.
To rid them of their depression, in terms of atmosphere and appearance, will be no easy task. But, I do firmly believe there is a genuine desire and willingness to breathe new life into our town centres and banish that beleaguered cloud hanging over many of them.
In recent weeks, two reports on this important topic have been made public, the most recent from lobby group, The Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) warning starkly of the threat to historic towns here.
Its authors want to "broaden the appeal of town centres" while the report that preceded it, the "National Review of Town Centres External Advisory Group Report: Community and Enterprise in Scotland's Town Centres," asserted that "Scotland needs its networks of urban places to work more effectively, in order to regain their creative, commercial bustle."
Neither report grates with me. I am all in favour of diversity and individual thinking that help could change drastically the face of our town centres, to stop them being stifled out of existence.
When the BEFS' report says "the emphasis on cities and rural communities could be contributing to the decay within such areas" it is worryingly accurate.
The authors are absolutely right to highlight that "well-known, long-established buildings including churches, halls and courts that were once at the heart of townships are now often being left to rot…"
The National Review, headed by Malcolm Fraser, has suggested property developers, like me, could be steered to development opportunities in, or as close to town centres as feasibly possible, rather than building on more remote greenfield sites. That echoes much of my thinking.
I share the view that lowering the costs and complexities of doing business on our high streets must be considered a priority, along with the idea of incentives in terms of business rates' schemes that encourage traders to take up the many vacant properties currently blighting our town centres.
The BEFS' report touches on this as well with one of its proposals flagging up "a town centre focus to review current business rates' incentivisation schemes".
My company, Bellair is at the forefront of using private funding in the urban regeneration mix. We are focused on a different approach spearheading the kind of change we believe both the BEFS and Fraser reports appear to be proposing.
We are currently investing £2 million in a self-funded project converting the former General Post Office into Falkirk Business Hub, a four-storey, 27,000 sq ft unique business centre complex.
We are creating a fully-managed business community where tenants can pay to work for a matter of hours or for 20 years or more, depending on their needs. We have transformed a building in a prominent town centre location that was standing empty.
It is something we would like to see in other towns so we are already looking at the possibility of rolling out this new-style model to other locations in Scotland.
As the BEFS' report states, our small towns are steeped in history and remain home to about one in three Scots. To stand back and let them die is unthinkable: it would be negligence on a massive scale.
It is heartening, therefore, that the spotlight is now being turned to shine brighter on town centres in these latest reports, and many will say not before time.
With creativity and planning I don't think it is too late to mount a long-overdue rescue operation. Our town centres need a mix of activity to thrive anew in the 21st century.
They need to be places where there's hustle and bustle that people can enjoy for a variety of reasons, serving a range of needs, instead of forlorn, empty, crumbling buildings, boarded up properties shrouded in despair and decay.
Let's all work together to give our town centres that new lease of life they deserve.
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