Falkirk Council

The Council has a responsibility for protecting and enhancing the environment in which people live, work and visit. This is against a background of an area that is growing with pressure to build new homes, increasing numbers of visitors, increased use of our roads and also demand for land to develop shops and businesses.

Our rich natural, social and cultural heritage must be preserved and valued by our citizens and visitors. Our area must be attractive, welcoming and of a quality our citizens expect and are proud of. We must build on our area's growing reputation as a place to visit and continue to surprise and delight our visitors with the quality of attractions on offer. At the same time, the open spaces enjoyed by our communities must be attractive and welcoming for locals and visitors alike.

Our transport network must support the growth in our area, while minimising the impact this has on the quality of our environment.

To achieve our vision, we must protect our environment for future generations. We all have a responsibility for promoting actions that minimise our impact on global warming. The Council not only has a role in the responsible disposal of waste, but also in utilising our own resources more responsibly.

We will be greener

We will be greener

This will be demonstrated by:	We will achieve this by:
promoting sustainable development reducing energy use reducing carbon emissions reducing the amount of waste generated in the Falkirk Council area exceeding national waste recycling targets tackling climate change protecting the natural environment	reducing the Council's carbon emissions by 20% enforcing building standards providing state of the art recycling centres and facilities encouraging the reduction in unnecessary packaging increasing public awareness of recycling and other 'green' initiatives protecting the natural environment through adherence to the development plan promoting sustainable procurement

We will improve the built environment

We will improve the built environment

This will be demonstrated by:	We will achieve this by:
implementing more effective planning processes improving transport links maintaining and improving our infrastructure	adopting sustainable design principles for the Council's property and facilities projects implementing our roads maintenance strategy exploring community transport opportunities and rebuilding the Falkirk bus station lobbying for improvements to the rail service in the district improving the standard of our roads network including promoting key strategic links

Our open spaces will be attractive, accessible and safe

Our open spaces will be attractive, accessible and safe

This will be demonstrated by:	We will achieve this by:
maintaining the balance between open spaces and new developments managing our risk from flooding improving the cleanliness of our area improving our open spaces and parks	implementing our open spaces strategy developing a play ground and parks development and maintenance strategy implementing our flooding strategy continuing our approach to litter through prevention, education and enforcement developing our HELIX project and other parks projects

Our profile will reflect our area as a destination of choice

Our profile will reflect our area as a destination of choice

This will be demonstrated by:

We will achieve this by:

ensuring a good range of facilities and accommodation are available to visitors ensuring the promotion of the area's unique heritage and culture maintaining and developing high profile national events developing high-quality visitor attractions engaging our communities in their local heritage and culture

developing a cultural master plan increasing the promotion and marketing of our area for tourists increasing and developing the range of cultural events and activities capitalising on potential opportunities presented by the World Heritage Status of the Antonine Wall continuing to work with British Waterways to promote the Canal and Falkirk Wheel continuing to work with Historic Scotland, VisitScotland and others to promote our historic buildings and heritage working with British Waterways and Central Scotland Forest Trust to deliver the HELIX project