Crunch meetings todecide Carluke's fate

Artist's impression of how the ruined High Mill in Carluke could look.

Both meetings could reach decisions that will have an impact on Carluke for decades ahead.

Next Tuesday, January 19, sees the Carluke Development Trust hold public consultation sessions from 2pm-4pm and 5pm-7pm in the Lifestyles Centre on Carnwath Road to unveil the latest proposals for the restoratuon of the historic High Mill and its promotion as a tourist attraction.

A Trust spokeswoman said: “This is a long term project which can provide a range of new services and benefits for Carluke.

“In the short term, the Trust is looking at how the High Mill project and the nearby Moor Park can help with other efforts to regenerate the town centre and be better connected to it.

“Options include improvements to the route connecting High Mill/Moor Park and the town centre, new uses for vacant buildings or new events and festivals. We are asking folk to come along and hear about our ideas - and tell us what they think.”

Exactly a week later, on January 26, at 4.30pm, at the same venue, the town’s Business Improvement District (BID) scheme holds its AGM, postponed from November due to the sudden resignations of the chairman and manager in a fallout with South Lanarkshire Council.

The meeting will be, according to their successors, essentially a ‘re-launch’ of the scheme which involves Carluke’s shops and businesses paying into a ‘pot’ of money to carry out town centre improvements.

The new chairman, local baker Brian Clark, said: “Seventy-five per cent of Carluke businesses who took part in a ballot voted in favour of setting up BID. Now we want to see all these people - and more - come along to the AGM to really get involved in our plans for the town centre’s future. And we will have plenty to tell them at that meeting.”