HUNDREDS of people seized the chance to 'travel through time' recently as they were given a glimpse of how Kirkintilloch town centre might look in the future.

The ghost of Christmas future was nowhere to be seen, but East Dunbartonshire Council officers were present at a series of events in the town centre.

Local residents, traders and visitors took the opportunity to look at concept designs for the Cowgate area - aimed at injecting new life into the town centre by lowering traffic speeds, prioritising pedestrian movement and improving the quality of public spaces on the street.

The Cowgate Street Design Project is a key part of Kirkintilloch Town Centre Masterplan.

Local people and businesses were given the chance to find out more during the concept design development consultation period - from 1-15 December.

Exhibitions were held in the vacant Wheel Nuts Unit, in Catherine Street, Kirkintilloch, and a display was set up in the foyer of Kirkintilloch Community Hub. There was also an online survey.

More than 200 people attended the exhibitions and around 3,500 information fliers were handed out to people in the town centre.

Council Leader Rhondda Geekie said, "Feedback from the events and online survey is currently being reviewed, but overall our officers report that it was a very positive experience.

"I am pleased that people were able to gain a great understanding of what the intention is for the Cowgate area and what the Kirkintilloch Masterplan is trying to achieve.

"The vast majority of people who attended the exhibitions filled in surveys and their views will help to shape what happens next.

"While the feedback was largely positive, there wasn't unanimous backing for the Council's proposals. However, we received constructive feedback and I am pleased people took the time to engage with officers on the concepts and the way forward. It has been a very worthwhile exercise."

Funding has been secured for Masterplan projects via a variety of national and local sources, involving partners such as Sustrans, Historic Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Support has also come from the Council's capital programme - which is funded differently and completely separate from the revenue budget, which pays for day-to-day services.

The piloting last year of the Cowgate Street Design Project aimed to provide a more balanced use of the area by pedestrians and vehicles. This concept moved away from traditional approaches whereby people and vehicles are physically segregated to the approach of giving pedestrians more control of the space, and calming down traffic speeds and vehicle movements.

A report on the pilot will be provided to the Council?s Development and Regeneration Committee in early 2015.

Councillor Geekie added, "The Kirkintilloch Town Centre Masterplan - which was shaped through consultation with a range of local stakeholders - communicates the need for a strong, vibrant town centre and we are striving towards that.

"However, we can only achieve our goals in conjunction with a range of partners - in both public and private sectors. For example, the vast majority of commercial properties in the town centre are privately owned - with the business rates set nationally.

"Rest assured, the Council is working hard to achieve its vision of a revitalised heart for Kirkintilloch, while continuing to support our other town centres in Bishopbriggs, Milngavie and Bearsden too."