News of the planned demolition of Cumbernauld town centre has drawn much debate as for some the plans are welcome news and for others it’s the destruction of valuable cultural heritage, reports The National, as it explores issues raised around #IHBCAberdeen2022, not least the pre-School talk by Miles Glendinning on ‘mass housing on 20/04.
image: for illustration purposes only – Thomas Nugent / Cumbernauld town centre from the air – Wikimedia Commons
… town centre has been consistently hacked around and neglected…
The National writes:
… Historian of architecture Barnabas Calder… believes, with the right attention and care, Cumbernauld’s town centre could be on-par with that of London’s “well maintained and widely loved” Barbican Estate.
He said:”Cumbernauld’s town centre has been consistently hacked around and neglected, but the right restoration would firstly save an enormous amount of embodied carbon relative to demolition and replacement, and secondly give back to Cumbernauld its position as a town of international interest and importance.
“Demolition will be bitterly regretted within the decade.”
Cumbernauld is one of 27 new towns in the UK, with five of these being located in Scotland. New towns refer to towns built in the UK post Second World War…
… James Barrowman who grew up in Cumbernauld, would like to see the town centre saved.
He said: “I’d like to see the development itself restored and held on to as a historical monument….”
However, Barrowman continued, he can understand why some do not share his passion for the centre. He said: “For my friends and family who still live in Cumbernauld, it’s become a symbol for the stagnation and neglect that the town has gone through in general…”
See more on #IHBCAberdeen2022 and the FREE pre-School online talk by Miles Glendinning on ‘mass housing
