More than £32 million is to be invested in transforming town centres across North Lanarkshire.

The council has agreed a £32.75m budget to begin redeveloping town centres in the region over the next five years.

Transforming towns is high on the agenda of the council's regeneration plans, which centre around the four core interconnected themes of;

• Housing regeneration

• Town centre transformation

• Business and industry

• Infrastructure development

Plans include doubling the amount of 'affordable' by pledging to deliver 5,000 homes by 2035, with the council to invest potentially £4.5 billion over the next 30 years, leading to the creation of an additional 15,000 jobs.

Work is now underway on the first stage of the regeneration blueprint, which will see many tower blocks and other flats demolished to make way for new homes via a £500m project. In addition, new locations including vacant and derelict retail sites, will be identified to speed up the construction of new council homes. The council will also work with businesses and investors to redevelop existing retail space to help create multi-use spaces, such as incubator hubs for business start-ups.

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The first phase of the plans will be carried out in Airdrie, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld. In Airdrie, Coatbridge and Wishaw, outdated large-scale retail outlets, commercial property and housing will be replaced with modern, mixed-use developments.

In Cumbernauld, the viability of the town centre will be a focus, using both public and private property to develop integrated public services. Improvements in Motherwell will centre initially around the plans to create a transport hub at the rail station. Future phases will focus on Shotts, Kilsyth and Bellshill. Regeneration of existing industrial estates at Newhouse, Blairlinn and Braidhurst will provide premises and development land suitable for modern businesses, with further sites earmarked for future expansion.

Cllr Allan Graham said: "Town centres are key to the well-being of our communities, and the council's ambition is to see them redesigned as multi-use spaces for everyone.

"We want to breathe life back into town centres, making them fit with current lifestyles. The way we all live has changed in recent years, with a huge increase in on-line shopping and use of digital services. Our social lives are also focussed around 'experiences' so we need to provide facilities and amenities for people, alongside the new housing in town centres.

"This will also create jobs, support business and grow the local economy. These may seem dramatic changes but these are ambitious plans that will develop long-term sustainability. By locating modern housing beside community and leisure facilities, shops and services, all connected to ultrafast broadband, we will create town centres that people want to live, work and socialise in."

"The regeneration of town centres is an important part of our economic regeneration strategy which addresses both place and economy, so it's about improving our land, buildings and housing as well as encouraging new business, investment and jobs.

"Our strategy will ensure we have land available for building much-needed new homes, utilise the Glasgow City Region City Deal investment to improve the transport network, create locations to attract business and industry, and maximise our greenspace for residents and visitors to enjoy."

(LM/MH)