Stonehouse: Scotland's last new town, c. 1967-77

Alistair Fair*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article examines the proposals for Stonehouse, designated as the sixth Scottish new town in 1972 but abandoned in 1976. Several themes emerge, with lessons for the wider urban and political histories of 1970s Britain. First, the evolving plans demonstrate the ‘malleability’ of the post-war ‘new town idea’, conceptually and organizationally. Second, cancellation was the consequence of short-term factors, changing strategic objectives and local government reform, rather than being the result of a sudden ideological pivot towards inner-city renewal. Third, Stonehouse counters established narratives of the practice and decline of regional planning in post-war Britain. At least in a Scottish context, regional planning took on new forms during the mid-1970s.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)818-839
Number of pages22
JournalUrban History
Volume50
Issue number4
Early online date17 May 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Jan 2024

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