Update - January 2007
Phil Murray
Since the previous report, some
significant steps have been taken towards the development of a Slow Cities
bid on behalf of Linlithgow.
- Phil Murray explained the Slow Cities concept to a recent meeting of
Linlithgow Town Centre Management Group, the outcome of which was a
very positive response on the part of that Group. Crucially, the
elected Members present appeared to welcome the initiative, and the
key outcome was that John Masson, Town Centres Manager has been asked
to prepare a report for consideration by the appropriate Council
Committee early in the New Year, recommending that West Lothian
Council (WLC) formally endorse the development of a 'bid' for Slow
City status on behalf of Linlithgow, the management of this process
being the responsibility of an appropriately resourced Steering Group,
comprising relevant elected Members, officials from WLC, and
representatives of interested community groups and organisations. The
rules for Slow City membership emphasise the importance of relevant
Local Authority endorsement of, and support for, such a bid, so such a
formal decision represents a key stage in the development of the bid.
The Town Centre Manager hopes to be in a position to submit such a
report in late January 2007.
- PM also reported to the same meeting on his attendance on 8.11.06 at
the Castle Douglas Foodtown Conference, the key theme of which related
to the significance of quality local food as a key attractor in
developing local tourism within comparatively small rural communities.
Reference was also made in a local context to the successful 're
branding ' of other communities in Dumfries and Galloway such as
Wigtown as Scotland's Booktown and Kirkcudbright as The Artist's Town;
all three of these small communities, as well as developing their own
unique 'tourism offer', are working together on various joint
marketing initiatives with the support of the local authority, local
enterprise agencies and local businesses.
- A key speaker at Castle Douglas was Graeme Kidd, Mayor of Ludlow in
Shropshire (the UK's first Slow City), who also acts as President of
the Slow Cities UK organisation. His talk illustrated the success of
first the Slow Food initiative in a Ludlow context, which then
developed into the wider Slow Cities initiative. In subsequent
conversation with GK, he expressed keen interest in the developing
position regarding a Slow Cities bid in Linlithgow, the range of
pre-existing schemes and proposals which might comfortably fit within
any bid criteria/assessment, and the extent of similarities between
Ludlow and Linlithgow in relation to population, historic townscape,
and the focus provided by Ludlow Castle/Linlithgow Palace. On being
advised of the stage of possible bid development within Linlithgow, GK
offered to visit Linlithgow at a mutually convenient time in the New
Year (1) to address key personnel and organisations which might be
involved in taking the bid forward, (2) to advise on the procedures
and processes to be followed once Council endorsement is achieved, (3)
to illustrate the benefits of Slow Cities status achieved to date in
Ludlow and elsewhere and (4) to acquaint himself with some of the
relevant problems and potential solutions in Linlithgow. If such a bid
is to be prepared, access to such expertise could prove invaluable to
its success, and the Linlithgow Town Centre Management Group, at its
meeting on 15.11.06, authorised John Masson to put preparations for
such a visit in place.
Conclusions
- A paper outlining the Slow Cities concept has been prepared and
discussed in the LTCMG forum with a broadly positive reaction
- Formal endorsement of development of a bid for Slow City status will
shortly be sought via the appropriate Committee of WLC. Such
endorsement is critical to the bid's progress
- Networking has provided the opportunity for Linlithgow, in
developing such a bid, to benefit from the advice and expertise of the
key figure in the Slow Cities UK movement, whose own community of
Ludlow has many physical similarities to Linlithgow.
- Linlithgow Civic Trust as initiators of the research into the Slow
Cities concept, will continue to work closely with West Lothian
Council and the Town Centre Management Group in particular, in order
to progress a bid submission.
PM 4 December 2006
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