Update - March 2007
Phil Murray
As reported previously, having achieved a significant degree of support for the proposed bid for Slow City status for Linlithgow initiated by Linlithgow Civic Trust (LCT), from the Linlithgow Town Centre Management Group (LTCMG), Councillor Kerr, and various senior West Lothian Council officials, it has taken a frustratingly lengthy period to secure a diary commitment from the Depute Leader of the Council, Councillor Willie Dunn, to meet with LCT representatives and the Chairman of Slow Cities UK, Graeme Kidd, Mayor of Ludlow, the first UK community to achieve Slow City status.
At last however, a date has been agreed for discussions to take place on 28/29 March - the provisional programme currently envisages LCT meeting informally with Graeme Kidd on the evening of 28 March, to brief him on the background to the bid and to highlight some specific Linlithgow issues, a meeting with available LTCMG members on 29 March, followed by a tour of the town, before a subsequent discussion with Councillor Dunn and relevant senior officials from WLC in the afternoon. Hopefully, the outcome of such meetings will be formal endorsement of the bid process by WLC (without which the bid application cannot proceed), and clearance to convene an early public meeting of individuals and community groups in Linlithgow who may be interested in progressing the bid to a successful conclusion.
The LCT Secretary, together with John Masson, Town Centre Manager for WLC, took the opportunity recently to meet informally with Graeme Kidd, on his way home from an assessment visit to Perth, who are well advanced with their own Slow City application. We also established contact with the tourism and leisure consultant who has been leading on the development of the Perth bid, and collectively had a very constructive discussion, which should stand us in good stead, once we get the go-ahead to proceed with the bid on behalf of Linlithgow. Experience elsewhere suggests that with the establishment of an appropriate Steering Group and real commitment on behalf of the applicant community as a whole, a formal application for Slow City status could be prepared within a period of approximately 9 months.
A verbal update will be provided at the AGM. In the meantime, any members who wish further information regarding the Slow Cities movement, or who would like to become actively involved in the Linlithgow bid process, please contact the Secretary, Phil Murray on 01506 840407
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