Practical proposed steps for Falkirk.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Use the council-owned site to join up public services
The council has acquired the town-hall site in central Falkirk.
Public ownership gives it a practical role in shaping access and use.
Evidence
Who could lead: Falkirk Council.
- Start now
Publish the services expected to share the building.
- Over the next few years
Design routes between the venue, buses and town-centre shops.
- Over the longer term
Review public access and operating costs after opening.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Site purchased in early 2024; demolition then began.
Measure: Track the site and building stages separately.
Trade-off: Owning the site does not fund all future operating costs.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
New Falkirk Town Hall →
Proposal
Give Denny a delivery programme residents can follow
Denny’s sports facility remains a capital proposal.
Residents cannot plan activities around an unconfirmed opening.
Evidence
Who could lead: Falkirk Council.
- Start now
Explain approvals, design and funding still needed.
- Over the next few years
Consult users on affordable activities and accessibility.
- Over the longer term
Review participation after any facility opens.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Published investment proposal.
Measure: Publish dates only when confirmed.
Trade-off: A larger facility can mean higher running costs.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Denny sports facility →
Proposal
Make the new town hall useful during the day too
The proposal combines cultural space with a library and advice services.
Shared use could bring everyday activity beyond evening performances.
Evidence
Who could lead: Falkirk Council.
- Start now
Test the design with library and advice-service users.
- Over the next few years
Agree accessible opening hours and affordable community use.
- Over the longer term
Review daytime use as well as ticket sales.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Published town-hall plans.
Measure: Measure access to public services.
Trade-off: Different uses can compete for space and staffing.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
New Falkirk Town Hall →
Proposal
Keep flood preparedness in place while protection develops
Grangemouth’s flood scheme is still progressing through statutory stages.
A proposed scheme does not yet provide its intended protection.
Evidence
Who could lead: Falkirk Council.
- Start now
Publish the decision and remaining risk in plain language.
- Over the next few years
Maintain flood warnings and phased delivery information.
- Over the longer term
Review protection and maintenance after each completed phase.
How to judge progress
Starting point: September 2026 decision report.
Measure: Do not count properties as protected before works are operational.
Trade-off: Flood works can affect access, landscape and habitats.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £173,000 (July 2026) in Falkirk council area. This is about £23,000 lower than the Scotland average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The average home price is £173,000 (July 2026) in Falkirk council area.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
25.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or higher (20 March 2022) in Falkirk council area. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 16.3% in Grangemouth to 31% in Falkirk South — a gap of 14.6 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Falkirk South and Grangemouth; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 25.8% with a degree or higher; 20 March 2022. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 16.3% in Grangemouth to 31% in Falkirk South — a gap of 14.6 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 9 of 9 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or higher →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
New Falkirk Town Hall →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Recorded-crime figures cover the whole Falkirk council area; they do not identify individual wards.
These are police-recorded crimes under Scottish counting rules. They cannot be ranked alongside the mapped incidents shown for other UK nations.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
New Falkirk Town Hall →
Denny sports facility →
Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme →
