Housing Visitor’s Report For The Month Ending The 30th November, 1972

This month, as winter closes in, I found a great many complaints about the bus services and get the feeling that whatever survey the S.M.T carried out they didn’t do it as thoroughly as they thought for many folk said they knew nothing about it and they cannot all be lying.

I discovered that after the first two or three weeks of settling in each person, especially the younger ones, were assailed by thoughts that they “may have made a mistake moving” and that they were better off where they were before. This seemed very commonplace and was initially caused through bus services not being very good, telephone installation being slow and folk feeling they were cut off from the outer world. Fortunately good sense prevails and these initial worries wear off. They console themselves, in many cases, with the thought that it is far better for the children. I have pointed out that they are “in at birth of a new town” and that small annoyance will soon be rectified as the town expands.

Interest has been shown too in the new building developments that are going on, Dedridge and the shopping complex, people now see something being created and watch almost daily for further progress. They have an avid interest in expansion.

There seems to be genuine concern that there is nothing much for the older teenager to do in an evening. Perhaps a community centre where teenagers could have coffee and soft drinks with all their interest centred under one roof. Having firsthand knowledge of this problem myself I can understand the anxiety of parents of older children.

In the Archives: Alternative Livingston Town Centres



Livingston was, largely, a town planned from scratch. There were a few villages, but there was nothing that you might call a town centre with shops, services, leisure facilities and the rest.  Clearly, quite a lot of what defines a town is this centre.  One of the more interesting challenges for those first town planners, who decided what Livingston was going to be like, was how to design a town centre that meant had character. It must have been quite an exciting challenge to design something so monumental from nothing. However, it was a challenge that soon ground on beyond endurance for most, the planning stages lasting over six years, and the shopping centre at the heart of the town centre not opening until 1977 – some 15 years after ideas were first put forward.

Early design concepts for Livingston town centre. c.1965.

 It was a task complicated by the designation of Livingston town centre as a regional centre – there had to be a massive shopping centre incorporated into any plans for the new town. Unsurprisingly this shopping centre, known today simply as The Centre, has come to dominate the town.

The evolution of plans for Livingston’s town centre can be traced in the archive. There are some quite interesting alternatives to the final scheme which I want to look at here. Today, Livingston’s town centre is found south of the River Almond in on a site that is contained in a rectangular grid of roads, just off the A889. It is quite a simple, utilitarian design that gets the job done.





Initial plans for the town centre were more ambitious. Plans to build the town centre on both sides of the River Almond were quite far advanced. The town centre was to be linked across the river by a series of bridges and was to include a number of river side squares and shops – there was also to be completely segregated pedestrian zones. This scheme was thwarted by the extra deep glacial silts surrounding the River Almond – these silts required deeper than average foundations, which made what was quite a nice sounding idea too expensive.  On a more fortunate note, the town centre was originally planned to incorporate high rise residential flats, these were dropped at a late date and there are no high rise dwellings at all in Livingston, having been developed a little after these fell out of architectural favour.

A second idea was to damn the River Almond to create two artificial lochs, which could be used at the heart of a park and to create space for boating and fishing etc. This was too expensive as well.



A plan from when artificial lochs were still envisaged (c.1966)



A final nail in the lid of any kind of imaginative town centre design came in 1971. The Livingston Development Corporation had wanted to fund the building of the town centre itself. This would have allowed the town to be built in phases across a number of sites over a number of years.  In 1971 the Scottish Development Department decided that the shopping mall had to be funded by a private company. This meant that the plans for various phases and sites had to be altered, to allow the private developer a single site for the new shopping mall. In the end, despite 6 years of planning,  the shopping centre project was sent out to tender in 1972. Ravenseft Properties won the bid with a plan that would create one of the largest indoor centres in the UK. The shopping centre was also to include Scotland's largest superstore. Almondvale Shopping Centre was opened in the autumn of 1977, with 320,000 sq ft of retail space available. This was subsequently known as Phase I.



 As early as 1979 plans were explored to expand the shop

A model of the 'regional centre' when its planning had become more concrete



ping centre in Almondvale Phase II, but difficulties in funding, and proposed rival 'mega' shopping centres in Bathgate and at Gyle in the suburbs of Edinburgh, delayed the expansion of the shopping centre until the 1990s. Ravenseft, renamed Land Securities, and owners of Phase I, agreed to fund Phase II developments by Amec and the Safeway group. Phase II was opened on the 17th August 1996 and contained three department stores and an additional 41 shop units. The Centre continued to develop after the dissolution of the Corporation. Phase III was completed in 2008. As of 2012 retail space at The Centre is now over 1 million sq ft and dominates Livingston's town centre.



Livingston town centre under construction, 1970s







Phase 1 of Livingston Regional Centre complete, c.1977







Ladywell/Howden/Knightsridge - Report for November 1972

Once again, I have found this month that new tenants are generally in employment, able to furnish their houses, and well prepared for coming here in that they know what to expect and are ready to make an effort to settle.

I would like to report that SWD is now fully staffed and much more able to take referrals from HV (LDC policy of more selective letting has also helped here). The SWD is now split into two teams – one for Ladywell/Howden/Calders and one for Craigshill/Balerno/Currie. This agrees with the areas of LDC HVs and AHOs.

There is an impression in the town that the employment situation is improving – several men I have known as long-term unemployed have started jobs. Again, the policy of selection has helped.

Three families I have spoken to are using a rented house as a ‘stop-gap’ until they can find accommodation to suit their (middle class) needs. It seems unfortunate that the town should lose these people to Bathgate, Edinburgh etc. As we do not provide housing which is ‘exclusive’ or ‘expensive’ enough.

We will be faced again this winter with many cases of disconnected electricity. Is there no way in which this can be prevented?

The information sheet for Knightsridge tenants has not yet been received, and Rev. Hughes has communicated his anxiety to me about the possibility a temporary community hall for the area.

I would like to note that the tenants of Whinbank seem particularly disconnected, although they do not mix with one another (or because they do not mix with one another)

In the Archives: Advertising Livingston

Livingston new town was created with two main aims – the first was to build houses that could take people from Glasgow who were being displaced by slum clearances in the city. The second aim, and one which was increasingly important during the 1970s, was to develop in Livingston as an economic base for the Lothians. The idea was that there would need to be a drive to counteract the decline of the old heavy industries that employed so many in the area – especially mining.

Livingston was created with jobs as a focus then, and it was here that it was perhaps most successful.  In 1975 there were 7,930 people employed in Livingston, by 1995 this had risen to 25,694.

To encourage firms to locate in Livingston there were various beneficial rates available and to advertise the benefits of making it in Livingston there were various advertising campaigns.  The first, shortlived slogan was “Livingston: The Pacesetter”, but this was soon replaced by two or three slogans that were to last twenty years. These were “Make it in Livingston” , “Locate in Livingston” and, to a lesser extent, “Livingston: Europe’s Most Logical Location.” The Livingston Development Corporation at first used an advertising consultancy, Halls of Edinb

urgh, to lead its marketing campaigns, but as the expertise of staff grew, more and more functions were brought in house. The advertising campaigns used by  the Corporation were seen all over the world, from newspapers in the US and Japan, to the walls of the London Underground.

The increase of advertising knowledge at the Corporation was echoed by its technical and commercial staff who became experts at designing factories that could be used by the most demanding of technology companies. The burgeoning technology industry was an area of high growth, and brought with it changes in the job market and also to society more widely.  A skilled workforce and an appropriate environment for technology combined to make Livingston capital of Silicon Glen.  In the 1970s the Livingston Development Corporation developed Kirkton Campus, a technology park, at a time when many advanced technology companies from the USA and Japan were seeking an appropriate location for their European operations.  The LDC kept tight control on Kirkton Campus, keeping it as a place that only technologically demanding firms could locate – this made it one of the first high-technology parks in the UK.

This combination of facilities and successful advertising (and wining and dining) made Livingston quite successful in attracting international firms. The Japanese connection included NEC (Nippon Electric Company), one of Scotland’s seven semiconductor companies, as well as Shin-Etsu, the UK’s only producer of silicon wafers, the industry’s raw material.  The Japanese companies not only brought jobs and wealth to Livingston but added a touch of the exotic to the town.  Special efforts were made to make the overseas visitors feel at home such as arranging a Saturday school for Japanese children.  The new families introduced Livingston to Japanese cooking through the International Club at Craigs Farm and to their culture during festivals and special occasions. 

NEC made one of the largest ever investments by a Japanese company in Europe and became one of the town’s largest industrial employers.  Its closure in 2002 was a major blow to the local economy.

Housing Visitor’s Report On Craigshill And Deans For October, 1972

New tenants seem to settle quickly but they all complain to a certain extent of loneliness and strangeness, this not being so severe where there are relatives in the area. I have made a point of leaving a card even when the tenant is in, with my name on and urge them to ‘phone and ask me to call to see them rather than them feel there is no one interested, this they seem to accept gladly, perhaps if they have a shoulder to have a weep on without their husbands being aware they will be able to cope more adequately. People in Craigshill seem to be blessed with friendly neighbours; in fact it is a very friendly area.

Deans is a far tougher nut to crack, people are very wary and recently I did a garden survey in this area. The result of this was rather enlightening; in only four cases during my 76 visits did anyone invite me in. I found it rather bewildering to endeavour to overcome their reticence and decided to complete my survey with the maximum of friendliness and the least expectations. There could be a lot of problems under the surface in Deans and it will be comparatively difficult to win their confidence. They are still simmering about many things, at least this is the feeling I get. Perseverance is the only solution. I imagine once the housing visitor is well known by even visiting shops and buying things the word will be passed around and ice broken.

Housing in Deans. The district of Deans was based around the older village of Livingston Station, which itself had grown up around the shale oil industry in the 19th Century.

Howden Park Centre

For over forty years, Howden Park Centre has been integral to the cultural output of Livingston so I thought I would look, briefly, at its history.

Invitation to the opening of Howden Park Centre, 1972

In 1972, as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Livingston Development Corporation, the stable block and coach house of Howden House were developed into an arts and conference centre.

 The building was opened by the actor Andrew Cruickshank. This new centre provided the Mews Theatre, an exhibition space, and accommodation for other groups involved in the arts. The Centre was administered by the Community Development Team of the Livingston Development Corporation until the Corporation's Wind-Up in 1997, when the Centre was taken on by the newly formed West Lothian Council.  Refurbished and extended, Howden Park Centre reopened in Spring 2009 following redevelopment to designs created by architects Nicoll Russell Studios.  In 2010 the Centre was named "Building of the Year" by the Edinburgh Architectural Association.



Cover of brochure for conference facilities
at Howden Park Centre



The local amateur dramatics society, The Livingston Players, put on three shows a year in the theatre, and have done since before there was a theatre.  Again, even before the buliding’s conversion, the stable block had been used by Livingston Arts Group as a meeting place and the Corporation promised to incorporate for facilities to use once the building had been converted – the group still meets there today. There have also been countless business conferences and art exhibitions and concerts and gigs held at the centre.



Livingston Development Corporation letter
regarding management of the Centre, 1974



In the archive we hold a variety of material relating to the centre.  We have the agreement to let the stables to Livingston Art Group, for example, and the minutes of the management group that directed the conversion of the building (and papers to do with the management of the facility in general). We also have brochures that advertise the conference facilities of the centre. More importantly, the Livingston Players, have, over the last few years, been depositing their records with us so we also hold a record of their performances.  We do, of course, as with anything that was built by the LDC, also hold an abundant amount of technical data on the construction and renovation of the building!

A lot of the cultural, social and economic conditions of Livingston today are a direct result of the decisions made in the 1970s - Howden Park Centre is one of the most positive results of those decision.  

Going back before Livingston New Town and the LDC, during World War II a bomb fell on the building Tuesday 25 June 1940 a bomb fell on the coach house and stables.  Mrs Maria Fleming and her granddaughter Margaret, aged 10, were killed.  These were the first civilians to be killed on the Scottish mainland and the only WWII deaths by bombing in West Lothian.

Housing visitors’ Report for October 1972



Livingston was proud of its ability to attract industry,
but many still found it hard to find work. This image is
from Cameron Iron Works on Houstoun Industrial estate.
When it was built the iron works had the largest iron press
in Europe.



Again it was noted that the new tenants visited seem to be settling well, and that they are in employment, have furniture, and seem to be able to cope with the expense and problems of moving here.

The mood in town is that the employment situation is improving and I have noted a few men who have been able to gain employment here within a few weeks of coming to the town.

Since the current intake to Ladywell is financially ‘better off’ than that of last year, the problem of garage lets has been raised to me a few times by the new tenants.

Howden Park – since the opening of the Arts Centre, Howden House is often locked up during the day, and children who come to play in the park now have no toilet facilities available to them.



Livingston was constantly expanding. Many new schemes
had events to celebrate the work - this is an image from the
ceremony that began ALmondvale Bridge, which links
north and south Livingston



Knightsridge – people in Kr seem ready to grab any passing LDC official and pump for information as they know very little about the area (i.e. Kr not the town as a whole). Mostly, they do not have family or friends in the town (was this known?) and the general feeling is that it is an area where ‘people keep themselves’ – although everyone says this. They would all be very glad, they say, of a place to meet, and I think a notice board available to these tenants would be a boon as they are finding contacts, both with those who can help them, and with themselves, a problem. Can any facility be provided Kr this winter?

Note:  in addition to the visits or the returns, there were 76 visits to pensioners in Deans for the garden survey.

In The Archives: Livingston Town Artist

LDC board minutes record the appointment of a town artist for Livingston

If you have ever been to Livingston, or even live here, then you might have noticed here and there a concrete sheep, a giant foot, or various pieces of abstract art. Much of this artwork was done in the 1970s, by a man called Denis Barns.

“The role of the town artist is to see that many of the jarring edges of the town are smoothed and rounded so that the environment is as pleasing as possible to the mind’s eye” – Denis Barnes

In the 1960s the Livingston Development Corporation had invited young sculptors to submit ideas for ideas for a sculpture in Craigshill Mall. In the 1973 the Corporation worked with the then recently established Livingston Arts Guild to establish a strategy for “Beautifying the Town” a result of which Barnes was appointed in 1974 – unlike other new towns in Scotland which did not have one artist, but commissioned singular pieces of art. Barnes worked with the Corporation for five years creating his own work and commissioning others, until 1979, when he went on to setup his own environmental art consultancy, Town Art & Design. He aimed to integrate art into the local surroundings and many housing estates in Livingston have a piece of his work incorporated into their lay out. One major piece of work that Barnes worked on was the Livingston Trim Course – a circuit training course which incorporated various exercise stations that were also artistic in their execution!

Health and Safety probably wouldn't let you get away with a Trim Course these days....

The Corporation continued to support public art in Livingston after 1979. One of its last major artistic ventures was the commissioning of sculptures on major roundabouts in 1995. These sculptures include NORgate by David Wilson, an artist from Perth – this giant whalebone like structure is instantly recognizable if you enter Livingston by junction 3 from the M8.

Some other images of town in Livingston:

August – general comments – housing visitor Ladywell & Howden

Complaints again centred on shops and buses. Commercial entertainment has been mentioned by most of the new tenants (they are nearly all employed people and have a bit more money than the last influx) and I wondered if the possibility of a Chinese restaurant for the town had been considered. I have mentioned this to tenants and they seem to think it would be popular. In particular it might help with the problem of entertainment for young people since this would be a night out which they could afford. I have mentioned these findings to Mr Pollock in Estates, and it seems possible we may have such a facility in Knightsridge.

People are content with waiting for the major shopping development and the prospect of Knightsridge shops helps here – if possible, more information on plans, timing etc. – especially about the Regional Shopping Centre, would be appreciated by the tenants. Most people in the town go to Bathgate, Broxburn, Pumpherston or the major cities once a week at least to shop at present and this is not so much a reflection on the number and range of shops but on their poor quality and high prices.

Litter has been mentioned to me and on going around I notice that it mainly consists of sweet papers round about bins outside shops and along the main footpaths from shops. Maybe a schools’ campaign might help. One tenant (who is probably going to buy in Bathgate) told me that her main reason for leaving the town is that the children all ‘run wild’ about the streets. I am afraid it seems to be a side-effect of segregated pedestrian areas that mothers can send even the very youngest children out for a whole day without worrying about them, whereas back in Glasgow they would have to watch the children carefully. As a result there are groups of children roaming about quite unsupervised. When we do get the play areas in Ladywell, might the possibility of a warden or two be considered? I noted that many children are writing a short piece on adventure playgrounds for the exhibition said that they would like ‘someone to look after us’ ‘someone to stop the bullying’ etc. Since the focal point for all these children during the day is not mother and her watchful eye, we might find another in order to prevent vandalism long-term.

It is reported that the ‘workers’ bus’ to Glasgow is very well used and numbers continued to grow. The passengers are counted on every journey and I hope the bus company will be so convinced of demand that it may run more buses.

It is notable that I spent time with 12 families last month whose problems resulted from broken marriages. Usually the main difficulty was housing a wife and children who had no household goods and communicating with D.H.S.S. on their behalf. I can see this problem continuing as do the S.W.D. and we do not see it as satisfactory that these people are being dealt with by all agencies rather haphazardly where a great deal of suffering  is involved. For instance, we have several times given a house to woman and children, leaving the husband living alone in a 4 apt house (or larger) with all the furniture. This is legally correct, but hardly a suitable solution, regardless of which partner is in the right ‘1/2 I feel it might be useful to meet with SWD on this perhaps bring up a few cases to consider responsibility for welfare. If DHSS could also be involved we might further clarification.   

ALmondvale Shopping Centre was opened in 1978. Before this date shoppers in Livingston had limited options as to where to go - 'The Mall in Craigshill was a popular choice. Now known simply as  "The Centre" - Almondvale Shopping Centre was expanded during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The Centre now has over one million square feet of retail space.