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Application form
Please make sure you have read all the notes carefully before you start to fill in the application form. This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically - it is available on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning. Please complete all five sections. The deadline for submitting applications is 27 August 2008. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.
1 Please provide a name and contact details of the lead organisation responsible for this work.
Name | Mark Douglas |
Job title | Principal Officer (Heritage & Design) |
Organisation | Scottish Borders Council |
Address | Council HQ, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SA |
Telephone | 01835 826563 (direct dial) |
Fax | 01835 825158 |
Email | mtdouglas@scotborders.gov.uk |
2 If this is a joint application, please list the other partners who had a key role. You should also inform your partners that you are nominating the project for an award.
3 Tick one nomination category
4 Title of entry | Heart of Hawick |
Please complete the form on the following pages by providing a brief summary of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude with a key reason as to why you think this work merits an Award. Only the two A4 pages supplied here can be used and your text must fit within the boxes. The font size should be no less than 12pt.
The judging criteria are set out below. Please tick only the key criteria relevant to your entry:
You must describe how the project relates to the criteria which you have ticked.
Description of project
The 'Heart of Hawick' is an arts and culture led regeneration project designed to make a substantial contribution to the social, cultural and economic regeneration of Hawick and the wider Scottish Borders. The project has tranformed two formerly derelict buildings - one damaged by a fire, the other abandoned by its owner - which blighted the heart of the Conservation Area in the town centre. Now the 'Tower Mill' (listed category A) and the 'Heritage Hub' provide new sustainable community facilities and overlook a redesigned civic space which can now be used for a wide range of community activities and events. The project has achieved signifcant environmental impovement, brought new investment, economic activity and jobs, provided new cultural facilities and acts as a positive focus for the High Street. |
Describe the background to the project
Hawick had sustained a significant economic downturn in its traditional textile sector and there was considerable concern in the local community that evidence of decay should be removed and redeveloped to demonstrate the towns continuing vibrancy. The Council, working with Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, had already restored the adjoining 'Drumlanrig's Tower' and there was significant local pressure, including a large petition to the Council, to extend this work to the remaining derelict buildings or to clear the site. In the absence of developer interest and with negative property values, the public sector needed to lead the development and implementation of a new vision for the site which would help to reposition the town in the new and growing tourism / genealogy / culture sector, whilst also meeting key local needs. |
What are the aims and objectives of the project?
The project aimed to remove dereliction and blight to improve the physical appearance of the High Street and its Conservation Area; to encourage further property investment in the town and High Street to boost the local economy; to anticipate new opportunities in the expanding tourism sector as a means to attract new and growing visitor spend to the town centre and its hinterland; to provide complementary economic and social / cultural uses for the buildings which would not displace existing economic activity; to meet local community needs and provide new sustainable employment for small and culture-based businesses. |
Over what timescale has the project been developed?
The project achieved the physical restoration to the two key buildings between autumn 2005 and September 2007. However, this was the culmination of some twenty years work to regenerate the "heart" of the town, and has invovled a constant dialogue with the community, local owners and the Planning & Economic Development Service of the Council. It forms part of a coordinated programme of works which has addressed shop front and other building repairs and enhancement; repaving and street furniture replacement in the High Steet, an attractive new bridge crossing the River Teviot and car-park and signage upgrades. |
Explain the process and action taken
An independent local Working Group was established during the development phase to ensure stakeholder engagement and included the Community Council, Hawick Partnership, a local Arts Group and representatives from local schools. This helped inform the evolving planned uses and design solutions for the project and was also subject to scrutiny from external funders including an HLF expert panel. A design team, led by Gray, Marshall Associates was selected in a two stage competitive process that complied with EU and HLF procurement rules. Assembling the complex funding package to allow the tender process to proceed was challenging to address differing timescales. A dedicated multi-disciplinary 'in-house' project team was established to run the project, using PRINCE II PM methodology. |
Explain the role of the key partners
Whilst the actual delivery of the project was led by Scottish Borders Council, there were two external funding partners whose significant financial contributions allowed the project to go ahead. The Heritage Lottery Fund contributed to the Heart of Hawick THI and specifically assisted with the repair, restoration and re-use of floorspace for economic use and directly assisted the development of the Heritage Hub as an exemplar family history and archive centre. Over £3m of ERDF Objective 2 funding was secured from the South of Scotland European Partnership. |
What results were achieved?
Tower Mill:- creation of a 111 seat auditorium as a cinema (run in conjuction with Edinburgh Filmhouse), theatre and conference centre; a new VisitScotland TIC and a "Beanscene" coffee and music house; ten rentable work spaces for creative industries. Since September 2007, over 150,000 visits have been recorded. Heritage Hub:- Scottish Borders Archive and Local History centre providing research and archive services (to BS5252 standards) visited by over 5,000 researchers to date. Civic space:- a well designed external space used for events and festivals, performance, a regular 20 stall Farmers' Market and open café space which links the buildings and provides views over the river. |
In summary, why does this piece of work merit an Award?
The "Heart of Hawick" project has achieved significant regeneration aims through sensitive design and strong project management: a run down area is now the focus of a social and cultural quarter linked to the High Street; key historic buildings have been restored and given viable, sustainable uses; contemporary design elements have signalled a positive enagement between the town and a range of cultural activities - activies which themselves have generated significant new employment and creative facilites for visitors and local residents alike. The project provides a positve demonstration of how the public sector can engage with the local community and the private sector to realise a long term planning vision. |
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