Cumbernauld at 70: 'I think one day the town could become a city'

Seventy years ago, the new town of Cumbernauld was created.

It was one of five to pop up across the Central Belt, from Glenrothes in Fife across to Irvine in Ayrshire, in a bid to ease overpopulation in cities amid a housing crisis.

New towns were seen as a fresh start for many, but over the years, their images have tarnished. Cumbernauld was bestowed with the Carbuncle Award, a plaudit for the town’s dismally drab aesthetic – twice.

Once in 2001 and again in 2005. The town’s Antonine Shopping Centre collapsed into administration in 2023 and its theatre is facing closure.

Cumbernauld is celebrating its 70th anniversary STV News

This is despite the success of shows like Outlander, which is filmed in Cumbernauld’s Wardpark Studios.

The town was also the home of Gregory’s Girl, Bill Forsyth’s classic 80s coming-of-age film, making stars of John Gordon Sinclair and Clare Grogan.

The Centre, a huge multi-level Brutalist structure aimed to house a number of amenities, was dubbed one of the ugliest and least-loved examples of post-war design. North Lanarkshire Council purchased the site a few years ago with a view to demolishing the building and redeveloping the area into a modern space.

But what do the locals really think of the town?

“The only problem with Cumbernauld was the town centre,” reflects Bobby Johnston.

“The idea was brilliant, people have got to remember it was the first town centre to completely seperate pedestrians from traffic. The rest of the town is beautiful and green, if you drive around, you’ll see it. We planted over eight and a half million trees from 1960 to 1996.”

“The theatre is a fantastic asset to Cumbernauld with the main auditorium here and with a cinema, dance studios, it offers a lot of fantastic benefits and features of having a theatre,” explains local councillor Adam Smith.

“Were it to close down, it would really be a devastating loss to the local community.”

Rosemary McKenna moved to Cumbernauld in 1967 and later became Provost as part of the former Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council. She went on to become a Labour MP for the area until she stepped down in 2010.

She lobbied the secretary of state to allow the town to expand past the M80 – a move she said made Cumbernauld into the town it is today.

She is fiercely proud of her hometown and defends its image, having fought for provisions and facilities for residents during her time as councillor.

“The first one I did as leader of the council was the unemployed workers centre, which was supportive of people who had no jobs – there was a time when things were really bad and they had no jobs. It set up places for them to go, I’m very proud to have been able to be involved in that.

“I’m also very proud that I was involved and helped the first Women’s Aid project get started in Cumbernauld. There wasn’t any Women’s Aid, and I knew from personal experience from neighbours there was a desperate need for somewhere for women to go to be able to be helped.”

When asked about Cumbernauld’s image, Rosemary is defensive and states many people still relocate here.

“I don’t think it has lost its glory, people still want to come and live in Cumbernauld, we’re still building houses, people are coming out of the cities and buying here.

“Cumbernauld is now a town, it’s not a new town any more. It is now a proper town, and I think actually one day it could apply for city status. It’s in the middle of the country, it’s very accessible, and I think it could progress quite a bit.

“I don’t think we need to do too much, I think we’re doing well.”