The Wester Hailes Community Trust, with partners in local organisations and the City of Edinburgh Council met in the library yesterday to meet with local people and get their views on the civic square located at the front of the shopping centre and ask them what they would like to see to improve the area.
Asking “Do you Love the Plaza” the group invited people to share their thoughts by planting a flag with the change they would like to see on a map of the Plaza square. As part of the event the group also asked people to describe the Westside Plaza civic square in three words or phrases using Online tool Mentimeter with the top three at the end of the night being that it was “Concrete”, “Empty” and “Depressing”.
There were a lot of great ideas shared by residents on what they would like to see in a new civic space from more greenspace and nature, market stalls or places for people to get food, to better lighting, paving and a play area.
The session funded by the Scottish Government’s Making Places initiative is the beginning of several which will be taking place across Wester Hailes in the coming months, culminating in multi-day event, known as a charrette, where local people will be able to work with architects, planners and other relevant individuals to create a Local Place Plan for the future of the Plaza.
There are plans for several more consultations as well as visit to other local groups and activities so don’t worry if you weren’t able to make it along, there will be other opportunities to have your say.
The Trust hope that the Local Place Plan will be used to support the development of the Locality Improvement Plan and lead to a regenerated civic square for Wester Hailes.
