Scotland's Towns Partnership has announced a new strategic partnership with the Green Action Trust to boost environmental outcomes in towns the length and breadth of Scotland.

In their work to support towns regeneration across Scotland, Scotland's Towns Partnership will be able to call on the Trust's environmental regeneration expertise in its work to support town centres and the communities that surround them. 

With growing momentum behind local, national and international action to tackle climate change, this announcement will place an enhanced focus on environmental improvements that can transform outcomes, and help build healthier, fairer and more sustainable communities.The two organisations have partnered with Collective Architecture, specialists in sustainability design, to assist with their joint working.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an increased focus on place, as people have had to re-imagine new working and living patterns as a result of travel and other restrictions introduced over the period since March 2020. Overall, this challenging time for towns has created the opportunity for re-evaluating the role environmental regeneration can play in restoring their fortunes in a way which creates healthier spaces and contributes to wider climate change ambitions.

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Significantly, the publication of the independent report entitled 'A New Future for Scotland's Towns', made the case for enhanced and co-ordinated action to put towns in a position to support the country's climate change ambitions. The report was authored by a Scottish Government appointed Review Group under the leadership of Professor Leigh Sparks, Professor of Retail Studies and Deputy Principal of Stirling University.

As well as being commissioned to deliver green infrastructure projects across Scotland, Green Action Trust has continuing responsibility, on behalf of the Scottish Government, for delivery of the Central Scotland Green Network. The CSGN is a £2.4bn green infrastructure programme, which will run through until 2050, and is one of the largest such projects in Europe. The Trust is Scotland's leading environmental regeneration charity and works in partnership with many of the country's public agencies and as well as most local authorities.

Phil Prentice, Chief Officer of Scotland's Towns Partnership said:

"Our ongoing work with communities across Scotland puts us in a perfect position to support them in achieving their ambition to flourish in a way which puts the environment and climate change action at their heart.

"Put simply, we have an outstanding opportunity to deliver for people and the planet by transforming our towns - making them sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

"Green Action Trust has the expertise and experience we need in managing large scale environmental projects in partnership with Scotland's public sector agencies to help us deliver for Scotland's towns. We look forward to putting this partnership to work and helping to build sustainable communities of the future." 

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of the Green Action Trust, said: 

"We are delighted to enter into this formal alliance with Scotland's Towns Partnership, which will see us become STP's environmental delivery partner. We all know how significant green infrastructure can be to help us improve the environmental health of our local communities as well as helping tackle climate change. 

"We will bring our expertise, partners and resources to assist with the environmental regeneration of Scotland's towns by making them greener and more climate resilient places to live and work.

"Access to good quality green space has never been more significant to the health and wellbeing of people. By working jointly with STP we can ensure that the environmental regeneration of our towns has the same strategic value as their economic recovery."