Greater than 2000 folks have given their views in a public session over a request to provide listed constructing standing to Cumbernauld city centre.
The decision was in response to proposals to demolish the controversial eight-storey megastructure.
Responses ranged from some calling it a “well-known landmark” with “improbable potential,” to contributions describing it it “not match for objective” and “an eyesore" and "a carbuncle”.
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Historic Setting Scotland (HES) say they're “delighted” by the size of participation and can now decide by late September on whether or not the Nineteen Sixties brutalist structure constructing ought to obtain any particular designation.
If granted listed standing, the transfer may decide whether or not main transformation plans to the city go forward.
North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) introduced in March the settlement of a deal, in precept, to purchase The Centre Cumbernauld from its present house owners and demolish it.
That will see the creation of a brand new city hub incorporating faculties, well being and leisure services, retail and workplace house and new properties in a decade-long venture.
It led to a request from a member of the general public for the prevailing construction, which dominates the city centre, to be added to the register of listed buildings, giving it protected standing aligned to particular architectural or historic curiosity.
HES say greater than 75 per cent of respondents to the month-long session had been native residents.
They added: “The responses included views concerning the particular architectural and historic curiosity of the city centre, how folks valued the positioning and whether or not it ought to be recognised and guarded and about aspirations for the redevelopment of the city centre.”
A Fb group was arrange opposing the itemizing bid, with Cumbernauld politicians Jamie Hepburn MSP and Stuart McDonald MP registering their objections with HES.
The politicians stated the standing may stand in the best way of the town-centre regeneration which is supported by “the overwhelming majority of our constituents”.
In a joint letter, they wrote: “Itemizing the constructing will not be within the pursuits of the city. Cumbernauld wants a vibrant, functioning city centre, not a monument to brutalist structure, and can't exist as a museum to these serious about a mode of structure that has lengthy been out of style.
“It has lengthy been clear that the construction is previous its greatest, outdated and unfit for objective. If NLC are unable to undertake their plans, it may show pricey to take care of; and there isn’t prone to be a future through which the present constructing serves the pursuits of those that reside within the space.”
Cumbernauld East councillor Adam Smith stated this week: “The massive variety of responses to the session reveals the eager curiosity within the proposed redevelopment of the city centre, and it's actually encouraging to see this stage of participation in any public session.
“I hope HES will absolutely think about the present situation of The Centre Cumbernauld and the affect of in depth variations made because the constructing initially opened in 1967, together with development of the Antonine buying centre, along with any potential cultural and architectural significance.”
Though just a few replies to his Fb publish marking the tip of the session instructed refurbishment of the prevailing constructing, a transparent majority supported its demolition and substitute - in the principle referring to it as an “eyesore” and “concrete jungle” and noting that it's not suitably accessible.
Gillian Mackay, the Central Scotland MSP, had additionally requested tradition minister Neil Grey to make sure The Centre will not be given listed constructing standing, calling it an “terrible constructing” and saying that quite a few native residents had contacted her “in despair” that it'd threaten or stop its redevelopment.
Cumbernauld’s landmark city centre was constructed greater than 50 years in the past within the brutalist structure fashion, with the eight-storey megastructure being constructed over a twin carriageway and incorporating outlets, a library and school, bases for emergency providers, flats and leisure services.
It was twice the recipient of the Carbuncle Award, previously introduced within the early 2000s to “essentially the most dismal city in Scotland”; and was named “Britain’s most hated constructing” in a 2005 ballot by Channel 4.
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