Celebrating ten years of City Deal investment

Published: 7 October 2024

One of the largest and the most advanced in the UK, Glasgow City Region's Deal has delivered a range of high-profile projects across the region.

East Renfrewshire is benefiting from a £44 million investment.

East Renfrewshire Council Leader Owen O'Donnell said: "City Deal funding has enabled a programme of ambitious projects in East Renfrewshire - stimulating economic growth, improving transport links, supporting business development, accelerating new housing development, increasing leisure opportunities and creating jobs.

"New business premises have been created at Crossmill Business Park in Barrhead and The Greenlaw Works in Newton Mearns, supporting business development. Improvements to Balgraystone Road have enabled new housing development in Barrhead and improved access to the country park and planned Balgray rail station. Work is in progress to transform Aurs Road from a winding, single carriage road to a safer, straighter road with a new active travel route and waterside promenade. Balgray station was recently given the green light and I look forward to construction starting on this much-needed new public transport link in Barrhead. The final project to enhance visitor facilities at Dams to Darnley Country Park is in development.

"Importantly, these large-scale projects offer the opportunity to work with contractors to provide wider benefits for our communities, embracing the ethos of the City Deal partnership. Significant community benefits have been achieved for East Renfrewshire including jobs for local residents, apprenticeships, work placements, career events and donations to valued local charities and community groups."

Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: "The Glasgow City Region Deal has been instrumental to unlocking millions of pounds worth of investment in Greater Glasgow. This has delivered new jobs, businesses and transport projects to build prosperity across the region. We are working closely with partners to maximise the benefits of regional working. I look forward to seeing the Deal progress with the completion of projects such as the Renfrew-Yoker Bridge which is due to open later this year."

Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said:"Economic growth is one of the key missions of the UK Government and the thriving projects in Glasgow City Region are helping to achieve that. The way has been paved for new housing and commercial developments, investment in technology has resulted in state-of-the-art medical research facilities, and improved connectivity is removing barriers to work. It's encouraging to see the amount of private investment generated that will continue to benefit the people of the wider Glasgow area and beyond."

Signed in 2014, Glasgow's Deal provides £500 million each from the UK and Scottish governments for a range of infrastructure, employability and innovation projects with the eight local councils contributing a further £130 million. Over the past ten years, the Region has undergone a period of epic transformation supported by the City Deal.

City Deal employability programmes have supported almost 14,000 people into work. The Queen Elizabeth University hospital Imaging Centre of Excellence, a state-of the-art medical research facility, houses the first 7T MRI imagine system in a clinical setting. The Smart Canal, a first in Europe, is a pioneering new surface water drainage system which is helping to unlock 110 hectares across the north of Glasgow for new housing and commercial development.

All City Deal infrastructure projects are underway with 45 sub-projects now complete including Greenock Ocean Terminal, the bridge over the M8 at Sighthill and the Govan to Partick bridge - with the new Renfrew bridge (pictured) set to open later this year.

The Region's residents are better connected thanks to the City Deal with new and improved cycle and pedestrian routes, bridges, upgraded roads and railway stations such as Motherwell Transport Interchange, providing better access to local town centres and beyond.

Together with a programme of remediation, the City Deal is freeing up land in key locations for housing and commercial development across the whole Region including at Barrhead, Bishopbriggs, Inverkip, Ravenscraig, Bowling and at various sites in South Lanarkshire's Community Growth Areas.

In fact, the Region's City Deal is estimated to have attracted over £880 million worth of follow-on investment since 2014 for new housing and commercial development already completed or underway at locations around City Deal projects. For example, City Deal funded remediation and work to improve connectivity at Tradeston in Glasgow has opened up an area south of the river to commercial development, with the new Barclays Campus the biggest inward investment ever in Scotland.

A further £65 million of additional external funding has also been generated from other organisations and agencies for City Deal projects in the ten-year period.

The City Deal is also helping businesses and communities. Over £150 million of City Deal contracts have been won so far by local businesses, and 330 employment opportunities such as apprenticeships have been secured for local people and young people.

More information on City Deal projects in East Renfrewshire.

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