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A Place and Wellbeing Assessment was held in June 2023 with local partners, with the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes used to help shape the Action Plan. The Outcomes helped to support a place-based approach to decision making with the aim of creating a Town Centre that will enable future generations using it to thrive.

Alongside this, the Programme also identified specific actions to strengthen links with other local initiatives and target work to reduce inequalities. Specific impacts include:

• Providing robust data to inform a place–based approach to decision making including taking account of the significant proportion of the population living in close proximity to vacant and derelict land
• The Place and Wellbeing Assessment provided a valuable opportunity to share what was important to people impacted by inequality in Rutherglen around their Place with decision makers. Much of this formed the background to the Assessment, allowing people to identify priorities to be considered in the plan development
• The Rutherglen Town Centre Action Plan recognises that it needs a partnership approach to succeed. Bringing people together as part of the Assessment helped to strengthen connections and provide a clearer idea of the needs of those experiencing inequality within Rutherglen.

Our story so far

The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme has supported the Rutherglen Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan in taking a place-based approach at numerous stages of its development. The Rutherglen Town Centre Action Plan (2023-2028) captures the collaborative actions of South Lanarkshire Council, partners and town centre stakeholders to support Rutherglen Town Centre and build strong foundations for future generations. Evolving from the work undertaken in previous town centre strategies, the Strategy was further supported by a range of information gathered through engagement and research in partnership with the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme. The Strategy identifies the issues faced by Rutherglen Town Centre and will inform future decision making to help achieve sustained long-term improvement. The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme has:

• provided quantitative and qualitative data to inform decision-making,
• identified partnerships and connections as part of the process,
• introduced the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes and embedded them into the process, increasing the focus on a place-based approach
• carried out a Place and Wellbeing Assessment on the Strategy to identify where the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes fit within the strategy for Rutherglen.

Rutherglen Town Centre Action Plan Place and Wellbeing Assessment

Prior to the Assessment being carried out, a range of both qualitative and quantitative data was made available by the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme that identified areas for consideration such as:

• Proximity to vacant and derelict land
• Concern over access routes to the town centre
• Carers as a priority for the local area

The quantitative data provided information on the five key inequalities in Rutherglen for consideration:

• Life expectancy variances
• Alcohol-related hospital admissions
• Poverty, including child poverty
• Out of work benefits
• Proximity to derelict land

The Assessment provided an opportunity to hear about what was important to people impacted by inequality in Rutherglen about their Place such as:

• Valuing communication and meaningful engagement
• Concerns about land and buildings use including vacant and derelict land, contaminated land and building closures
• Mental health and links to poverty and cost of living crisis
• Financial wellbeing

Much of this formed the background to the Assessment, allowing people to identify priorities to be considered in the plan development. Bringing together representatives from Health Improvement, South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, South Lanarkshire Council Planning, the Assessment brought forward three broad themes for the plan’s development:

1. Aligning the plan with other strategies and plans
2. Working with the local community and local partners
3. The use of evidence, data and intelligence

A range of recommendations emerged from the Assessment about how to incorporate both the data gathered and the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes into the Strategy going forward. These Outcomes would later form the basis for the consultation process on the strategy.

Connections and Partnership Working

The Assessment allowed connections to be made both internally and externally with South Lanarkshire Council Planning, including links that provided mapped information on vacant and derelict land locally and connections with Health Improvement Officers around the priorities for Rutherglen.

Within the 53 recommendations made in the Rutherglen Town Centre Action Plan Assessment Report, 26 were specifically around joint working which informed much of the process in terms of strategy development, linking with a range of other service providers and agencies.

Embedding Place and Wellbeing Outcomes

By using the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes the key themes emerging from the Place and Wellbeing Assessment and through consultations could then be attributed to each Outcome.

Within the supporting appendix that accompanies the Draft Rutherglen Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan Report it is stated that:

“The projects and initiatives which the Council are highlighting to partners across the town centre will be categorised using the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes.”

This will help to progress a coordinated set of actions across the Town Centre which will help business confidence and support investment. It is highlighted that it must be progressed with a wide range of partner participation.

Public Consultation on the Rutherglen Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan

The Consultation on the Rutherglen Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan received a very positive response from residents with the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes being a central focus of discussions.

Residents were provided with the opportunity to answer a series of questions (online or in person), with the Community and Enterprise Committee approving the finalised action plan being sought in July 2024.The implementation of the action plan started in August 2024.