THE DUNBAR INITIATIVE, EAST LOTHIAN
This 1999 nomination by the Dunbar Initiative is of the Dunbar Initiative Project. This is a partnership regeneration project established in the 1980's to rebuild confidence in a small seaside town that had lost many of its tourists, suffered heavy job losses and gained a poor public image following construction of the nearby nuclear power station. Lack of private investment had begun a spiral of decline. The Initiative (East Lothian Council, Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd. and Scottish Homes) has implemented a comprehensive programme of action illustrated by the range of projects implemented: Environmental and Social: · Arepair programme for historic High Street tenement properties · Restoration of the Parish Church · Major re-landscaping of the historic High Street · Restoration of the imposing Lauderdale House on High Street · High quality new development within its historic Conservation Area · Investment in more than 100 small schemes in association with the private sector through the Dunbar Town Scheme · Environmental works including dealing with derelict and contaminated land and the creation of a new town centre park · Coastal walkway engineering works to combat erosion · Restoration of surviving old town walls · Floodlighting projects for local landmark buildings · Restoring the Fishermen's monument and creating two new sculptures Economic · Investment in both tourism training and physical improvements to local tourist accommodation facilities · New business start ups and investment in existing businesses · Organising training courses for job seekers and small businesses · Provision of new indoor tourist facilities including a major leisure pool · Substantial investment in the infrastructure of the town to allow the town to sustain itself through future development. Measures of success An independent review of the Dunbar Initiative reported as follows; "We consider that the Dunbar Initiative has been very successful in advancing the recovery of Dunbar from its position in the late 1980s. The intervention was necessary to initiate key projects and improvements that would otherwise not have occurred. In our opinion, the main purposes of the Initiative have been achieved and a much stronger base has been created for successor organisations to continue with outstanding projects in the future." (Assessment of the Dunbar Initiative, DTZ Pieda Consulting, March 1999).
Last month the Dunbar Initiative was the only Scottish entry to win the British Urban Regeneration Association Award for Best Practice in Regeneration 1999. Key strengths of the Dunbar Initiative approach: 1. Organisational structure - established and co-ordinated from the outset by the Council's Planning and development division the Initiative comprises a small Management Group co-ordinating the requirements of a Steering Group of senior partners and the Community Forum of community and business representatives. 2. An understanding that the greatest impact is achieved by implementing both large and small-scale projects together to produce a comprehensive improvement. Examples of some of the smaller projects include Town Scheme grants, co-ordinated paint schemes, repairs to stone walls, and a range of training courses from helping job seekers into work to training shop owners on window displays and encouraging tourist businesses to strive for greater quality of service. 3. Co-ordinated action on development arising from an initial planning assessment of the quality and character of the town centre and the potential offered by sensitive redevelopment and enhancement. This study won a Royal Town Planning Institute Award in 1989. 4. Long term commitment - comprehensive action is expensive and can be difficult to justify for a small community. Only by prioritising within each partner's budgets has investment of over £22m been achieved. The result Dunbar now offers more to its visitors and recent surveys have shown that visitors rate the town very highly. Its facilities and the quality of its historic architecture are highlighted. The comprehensive environmental works in the town centre have significantly enhanced the Conservation Area. The Council's Planning and Development Division has been the lead authority in co-ordinating Council action, the direct input from the community and the involvement of the external partners. The town is once again attracting private investment and has a new community development company managing Scotland's first Healthy Living Centre.
The judges sought a presentation on this nomination and visited Dunbar. They were taken through the history of the project and its background of a town in decline. It is worth recording that the Dunbar Initiative has been a long-term effort. Persistence and patience have been rewarded and vision has become reality. There is now clear evidence of economic and social regeneration, thanks to the joint efforts of the partners, the contributions of the local community and Councillors, and continued co-ordinating role of the planning service. The judges were extremely impressed by what they saw on the ground, especially by the work on pends and closes and backland enhancements, and they particularly note the value of the involvement of Scottish Homes. The judges have no hesitation in recommending the Dunbar Initiative Project for 1999 Award in this category.