It’s the people of Montrose that this question will be set to next month as it becomes the focus for the latest in a series of design charrettes that have been held in Angus.  The charrette is a collaborative consultation and design programme that is nurtured by local views, opinions and ideas, with a view to setting deliverable short, medium and long term community plans.

 

Similar events have been held in Brechin, Carnoustie, Forfar and most recently Arbroath to spark conversation, action and activity on how future services, such as housing, retail, leisure and tourism and how they can be shaped.  Now the people of Montrose are being asked to get involved in setting a vision for their future. 

The charrette takes place from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 March at Montrose Library, 214 High Street, DD10 8PH. Local people, of all ages, as well as representatives of local business and industry and other agencies are very welcome to come and contribute.

 

The ‘Montrose Matters’ charrette has been developed by Angus Council with funding assistance from Scottish Government; the event is led by specialists from the fields of urban design, town planning, architecture, property development and community regeneration.  The charrette team will look to confirm the challenges and priorities of the community for the town centre and develop a long-term vision and strategy for its future, within the context of the surrounding area. It will also identify the strengths and assets of the historic town centre and the challenges and opportunities it faces.

 

 

Charrette outcomes will inform future strategic decision making and planning for central Montrose and influence Locality Outcome Improvement Plans for Angus and Brechin/Montrose, Angus Community Planning Partners’ agency plans, Angus Local Development Plans, Housing Plans and informing other significant local policies, plans and investment proposals.

 

In preparation for the end of March event and to finalise details, the Austin-Smith: Lord/ Douglas Wheeler Associates team will be arranging discussions in Montrose during early March. In the weeks before the charrette, WAVEparticle an arts organisation, who specialise in developing and delivering effective community engagement and treat engagement as an art form, will be in Montrose using different ways to make contact with the community and more details will be available soon.

 

Once the design team has gathered all the information, they will report back on their findings on 20 April at Montrose Library.