2010 ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING AND EXHIBITION
The 2010 Annual Public Meeting (APM) will take place on Thursday 30th September, from 6.30pm - 8.15pm, with the venue being the Bridgeton Community Learning Campus, Dale Street, Bridgeton.
Annual Public Meeting & Exhibition poster
The APM will be chaired by Dr Robert Crawford, the Chair of Clyde Gateway, and will involve a presentation by Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway, detailing the work and achievements over the past 12 months. Members of the audience will be able to put questions to Robert and Ian and to the other members of the Clyde Gateway team in attendance. A buffet and light refreshments will be on offer afterwards.
In conjunction with the APM, Clyde Gateway is also mounting an exhibition at venues in Rutherglen and Bridgeton:-
Wednesday 29th September - Rutherglen Town Hall : 10am - 8pm
Thursday 30th September - Bridgeton Community Learning Campus : 10am - 4pm
Members of the Clyde Gateway Team will be present on both dates to provide information about ongoing activities. In addition, the 2010 Annual Report will be launched at the Rutherglen exhibition.
Further information can be obtained in advance from Jim Clark on 0141 276 1576 or by email - jim.clark@clydegateway.com
BRIDGETON CROSS IMPROVEMENTS GIVEN CIVIC OPENING
Accompanied by Councillor George Redmond, the local member for the area and member of the Clyde Gateway Board, the £1.1m of improvements at Bridgeton Cross were officially opened by The Rt Hon the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Councillor Bob Winter on Monday 23rd August.
The Lord Provost had a walkabout tour of the Cross during which he saw various elements that are part of the improvements, including a tribute to three locally born servicemen who have been awarded the Victoria Cross and a permanent memorial to the national bard Robert Burns, which has been in recognition of the area’s links with the Bridgeton Burns Club which dates back to 1870. He also met with members of the Bridgeton Community Steering Group who have been involved with Clyde Gateway staff and external consultants on taking forward the project from when the idea first emerged in late 2008.
The Lord Provost said "Days like this make me proud to be a Glaswegian. To come to Bridgeton Cross and see the marvellous work done underlines how initiatives such as Clyde Gateway, working with local people, can and does transform the communities.
"For a time this Umbrella was used as a meeting space at the heart of the community where speakers and preachers would orate. So standing here today I follow in the footsteps of our forbears - living history if you like."
The Lord Provost later hosted a civic reception at the City Chambers in recognition of the efforts of the community for driving forward the project. He thanked everyone involved, including Gillespie's and Land Engineering, the consultant architect and main contractor respectively, and praised the quality of the entire project which he believed contributed to a renewed sense of pride and energy in the area."
The 150 guests at the civic reception in the main comprised local residents and shopkeepers who were transported to and from the city centre in two vintage buses supplied by the Glasgow Vintage Vehicles Trust who are based in Fordneuk Street in Bridgeton.
All the guests were entertained by pupils from Sacred Heart Primary School who performed two dance movements that they had worked on as part of their studies into the historical significance and changing fortunes of Bridgeton Cross and from St Mungos Academy who performed a song. In addition, an exhibition of art, designed by pupils from Dalmarnock Primary, was also on display in the City Chambers.
Councillor George Redmond, the local member for the area and Board Member of Clyde Gateway said “This has been a fabulous day that will live long in the memories of the people of Bridgeton. This project shows just how serious Clyde Gateway is about transforming how the area looks and how it is perceived by those who perhaps don’t know it as well as local people.
“The Umbrella really looks quite stunning and no-one can argue that it in its restored state it is one of the most impressive and unique structures in the whole of Glasgow. But it’s also the fact that so the other improvements such as the new paving, the seating, trees, the bus shelters and the improved lighting make the new-look Bridgeton Cross very pleasing to the eye.
"I know that the Lord Provost was thrilled by the very warm welcome he received from everyone and I'm delighted that he did us the honour, not just of carrying out the opening, but providing the icing on the cake with a fantastic civic reception."
Grace Donald, a local resident who sits on the local Steering Group said "I’m so pleased to have been part of this project. Clyde Gateway is one of the best things ever to happen to this area and all the changes they’ve made to Bridgeton Cross are fantastic. It was also a huge thrill and honour to meet the Lord Provost. This has been a day that none of us will ever forget."
The improvements to the streetscape are already beginning to pay dividends, with spend on the adjacent railway station being brought forward by five years to complement the work at Bridgeton Cross. Clyde Gateway is also making a significant contribution to the works at the railway station which will see new signage and a complete repainting new platform shelters, seating, entrance doors, lighting and improvements to the booking office and the refurbishment of the overhead walkway between the platforms.
TENDER OPPORTUNITY AT OLYMPIA THEATRE, BRIDGETON
Clyde Gateway is inviting tenders for the redevelopment of the former Olympia Theatre at Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow.
The proposed development is for the demolition of an existing facade and a mixed-use new build over 4 levels to create approximately 3,600 sq m of floorspace.
Full details are available by clicking here and accessing the website of Public Contracts Scotland.
The closing date for registering your interest is Friday 1st October at 12noon
IMPROVED LOOK SET TO ARRIVE AT BRIDGETON STATION
The combined efforts of First Scotrail, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Clyde Gateway will see more than £400,000 worth of improvements at Bridgeton Station over the next three months.
The rebranding of the station, including new signage and its complete repainting was scheduled for 2015 but has been brought forward by First Scotrail to complement the wider streetscape improvements currently underway at Bridgeton Cross. Together with an additional programme of cleaning and tidy-up work, First Scotrail will be spending £47,000.
SPT has also agreed to deliver, in line with the works being carried out by First Scotrail, a range of improvements including new platform shelters, seating, entrance doors, lighting and improvements to the booking office at a total cost of £211,500.
Clyde Gateway, the regeneration agency for the area, has agreed to fund the refurbishment of the overhead walkway between Platforms 1 and 2, at a cost of £168,500. This involves the replacement of all glazing panels, new stair treads, handrails, lighting and roofing panels as well as a complete repainting.
George Redmond, the local councillor for Bridgeton and Board Member at Clyde Gateway has given a warm welcome to the investment. He said “Clyde Gateway has huge plans for the Bridgeton area including the redevelopment of the Olympia Theatre and a new office block at nearby Brook Street. Most of the people coming here will be using the station with it being just 5 minutes from Glasgow Central.
“First impressions are important, and what we getting in effect is a station that will look brand new and which will fit in very well with the £1m plus of improvements at Bridgeton Cross itself.
“These are exciting times in the East End of Glasgow and the physical regeneration promised by Clyde Gateway and its partners including the City Council is now really building up a head of steam.”
The combined investment comes to £423,000. The initial work has already begun, but will not be completed until October given the complexity of improving the overhead walkway while services are in operation.
Bridgeton is one of three stations, along with Dalmarnock and Rutherglen, within the Clyde Gateway area that offers excellent access to the rail network with between eight and twelve services an hour.
Proposals for an £8m upgrade of Dalmarnock station as the main transport hub for the 2014 Commonwealth Games were approved in May 2010, while the combined efforts of the rail authorities and Clyde Gateway have resulted in more than £3m of improvements at Rutherglen Station over the past 18 months.
TRIO OF POLITICIANS PAY VISITS TO CLYDE GATEWAY
The first week of July saw three separate visits to the Clyde Gateway area by leading politicians from the Westminster and Holyrood parliaments.
David Mundell MP, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, and Tom Greatrex MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West were each given a guided tour of the various projects across the Clyde Gateway area while Alex Neil MSP came to Bridgeton Cross to launch a new European fund related to regeneration.
Mr Mundell's 90-minute tour, accompanied by Councillor Chris Thompson, the Vice-Chair of Clyde Gateway and Ian Manson, Chief Executive, was the first by any member of the new Conservative/Lib-Dem coalition recently elected to power at Westminster. He was shown progress on the M74 completion, Clyde Gateway East Business Park, the NISA/Velodrome project and the Athletes Village as well as seeing the complex challenges involved in delivering the regeneration agenda in South Dalmarnock and Shawfield.
Speaking to journalists afterwards, Mr Mundell said that he had been impressed by what he had seen during his visit. He added that projects and schemes such as Clyde Gateway that had proven economic benefits would be protected from the worst excesses of forthcoming cuts in public expenditure.
Mr Neil was making a return visit to Clyde Gateway some 15 months after he had been given a guided tour, during which he had also met local residents who were members of the Bridgeton Community Steering Group which had been established to assist with the delivery of projects in the area.
On this occasion, he was launching the JESSICA Scotland Fund, a new initiative which will make £50 million available, in partnership with the European Investment Bank, for regenerating business and transport hubs and greening housing schemes.
The Minister had chosen Bridgeton Cross as the venue as the area was an excellent example of how different funds could be utilised to deliver changes and transform the look of an area with Clyde Gateway funding being added to by the Town Centre Regeneration Fund for the Olympia Theatre and European Social Funding assisting to deliver a new business centre on Dalmarnock Road. Mr Neil also took the opportunity to look at the changes to Bridgeton Cross since his last visit and to again meet with local residents afterwards to gauge their reaction to Clyde Gateway's activities.
Speaking afterwards, Lesley Ward of the Bridgeton Community Steering Group said "It was great to get the chance to again talk to the Minister. We not only wanted to thank him for his continuing interest in Clyde Gateway but also to let him know that as a community we are delighted with the early progress and are looking forward to our continued close involvement in completing the transformation over the coming years.
She added, "He was very complimentary about Clyde Gateway, in particular how the organisation got so closely involved with the local communities is delivering the different projects. He was most impressed with the new-look Bridgeton Cross, but we told him he should come back again when the job is complete once we get the Olympia up and running."
Mr Greatrex was making what is likely to be the many visits over the next few years as the constituency MP for the South Lanarkshire part of the Clyde Gateway area. While much of his tour of the area focussed on what was already happening and what was planned in the Rutherglen and Shawfield areas, he also took time to look at projects located in Glasgow as well as having detailed discussions with officials on how best he could provide support and assistance as a local MP.
Describing the discussions as 'hugely valuable' , Mr Greatrex said " The regeneration of this part of the constituency has been needed for many years – the proximity of the Commonwealth Games and the construction of the missing link of the M74 have put that within reach. As well as providing new and improved amenities for the communities of Rutherglen and the east of Glasgow, there is a tangible benefit in jobs that could follow, and stay, in our area.
“This is precisely the sort of activity where public investment – on the part of South Lanarkshire Council, Glasgow City Council and the devolved Scottish Government – can lead to private sector activity and jobs for local people.
“Clearly there is much that is still at an early stage, but the improvements around Rutherglen station and the vision for the Monogram site and Shawfield area, should give confidence for the future.
“The structure of Clyde Gateway, involving local people , doubtless helps keep the priorities right.”
Ian Manson added: “As it is important that our efforts to transform the fortunes of Rutherglen and Shawfield have widespread political support at all levels, I was delighted that Tom, so early into his new role as MP for the area, wanted to see first-hand the sort of tasks we are undertaking.
“I was also pleased that we were able to have such a long and informative discussion about the different ways that Clyde Gateway’s activities can be supported in the UK Parliament and I look forward to further developing an excellent working relationship with Tom in the years ahead.”
M74 BRIDGE LIFTED INTO PLACE
Construction of the only bridge to span the River Clyde as part of the extension of the M74 is now underway at Fullarton Road, Cambuslang.
The structure, known as Auchenshuggle Bridge, is adjacent to Clyde Gateway East, the new business park on London Road, Glasgow that is currently being developed by Clyde Gateway.
The new bridge is being built with the use of the largest mobile crane in Europe which will manoeuvre the bridge span, made up of five box girders assembled into one on site, into place across the river.
Watching the work get underway was Scottish Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP who said said: “This is another significant milestone in the construction of the M74 completion project. The fact that Europe’s largest mobile crane is needed to carry out the work shows what a complex civil engineering operation it is.
“Together with the recent erection of steelwork for the Rutherglen Station bridge and the ongoing second launch of the Port Eglinton Viaduct, the work on this bridge is another major step towards completion of the project.
“This project to complete the missing link between the existing M74 and the M8 in Glasgow is on schedule to open next year.”
After the girders are in place, work will start to lay the concrete on which the road surface will be built.
The 1600-tonne crane, previously used to help build an oil refinery in Kazakhstan, and most recently in a port in Rotterdam, is prominent in the skyline and 100 lorries were used to to bring in the crane in sections.
M74 COMPLETION IS 'CATALYST FOR REGENERATION'
The completion of the M74 Motorway has been singled out by John Swinney, the Finance Secretary, as a catalyst for regeneration and protecting and creating new jobs.
The Minister was speaking during a visit to BOC, an industrial gas producer and supplier who have relocated from Polmadie to Cambuslang to ensure that they can take advantage of the benefits the completion of the M74 will bring.
Mr Swinney said “Infrastructure projects like the M74 Completion are also encouraging businesses to invest and expand their operations here. Businesses like BOC have seen the benefits to their operations being located near the new motorway, helping them get their products to customers quicker, in turn enhancing their competitiveness and creating further expansion and job creation opportunities for them.
"In addition, increasing accessibility to priority regeneration areas like the Clyde Gateway is releasing the development potential of those areas, bringing a further boost to Scotland's economy. New developments directly linked to the M74 Completion currently under way or which have planning permission, are expected to create and support some 3000 jobs.
“Marrying the benefits to businesses new transport links like the M74 Completion will bring, with the enormous potential for further urban regeneration programmes - many of which are already advancing apace on the ground - underlines the importance of Scottish Government investment in transport infrastructure.”
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway, endorses the view that the M74 is vital to the future successof the URC. He said:-
"The completion of the M74 underpins all Clyde Gateway's aims and objectives for the economic, physical and social transformation of our local communities.
"It is already making an impact in advance of its opening. Our own development of the Clyde Gateway East Business Park would not have been possible without the extended M74, while other sites, particularly in and around the three new junctions, are stimulating substantial interest among investors and developers."
The work to complete the M74 is now scheduled for August 2011.
FUNDING PACKAGE AGREED FOR DALMARNOCK STATION
A partnership approach to provide funding for an £8m upgrade of Dalmarnock Station has proven succesful with the announcment by John Swinney MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, that the project has been succesful in securing funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
Clyde Gateway, Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) had previously committed themselves to the project and now the Government agency Transport Scotland as well as Network Rail will be getting on board thanks to the ERDF grant of almost £3m.
The upgrade will see the station entrance being relocated from Swanston Street onto Dalmarnock Road, new lifts, stairways, improved lighting and repairs to the station platforms and walls. The station is going to be heavily used by spectators travelling to Commonwealth Games venues such as the new NISA and Velodrome but its impact is going to be felt well beyond 2014.
The announcement was given a very warm welcome by George Redmond, a Board member of Clyde Gateway and the local councillor for the Calton Ward in which the station is located, who said:-
“This is something that Clyde Gateway has been leading the argument on ever since the agency was set up at the end of 2007. It’s great we have finally got to this stage and that all the partners have agreed the funding arrangements to deliver such a key piece of infrastructure.
"Dalmarnock Station is one of our key transformational projects along with the likes of the Olympia Building at Bridgeton Cross and the new office development at Brook Street that is going to bring 500 new jobs to the area. We are also of course very hopeful of relocating Strathclyde Police HQ to a site on the banks of the Clyde not all that far from the station.
"While it is important that the upgrade is completed in time for the 2014 Games, the main thing from a regeneration angle is that the station will become central to our efforts over the next 20 years to influence developers that Clyde Gateway is the perfect location to invest in.”
John Swinney said:-
"The Scottish Government is working tirelessly to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support sustainable economic growth. That's why I'm delighted to announce this £2.8 million investment from the European Regional Development Fund which will help support the redevelopment and refurbishment of Dalmarnock Station.
"When delivered, the station will not only provide additional transport services for the Commonwealth Games, but also help support the regeneration of the wider Dalmarnock area.
"As we look forward to the Games in 2014, this investment will help deliver an efficient transport network for visitors to the city, as well as a lasting legacy of improved transport links in Glasgow's East End."
Project Partners delivering Dalmarnock Station refurbishment are Transport Scotland, Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Clyde Gateway and Network Rai and they are currently working up preferred options for the station redevelopment.
The project is expected to be delivered by the end of 2013.
RUTHERGLEN STATION IMPROVEMENTS OPENED BY LEADER OF SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL
The project funded and undertaken by Clyde Gateway URC to improve the access in and around Rutherglen Station has been officially opened by Councillor Eddie McAvoy, the Leader of South Lanarkshire Council.
Among the wide-ranging changes has been the creation of a new pedestrian-friendly area on Castle Street, improved car parking spaces for local residents, public artworks at Burgh Primary School, real-time rail service information at the station as well as on Main Street, new signage for the shops on Victoria Street and widespread improvements to the lighting and landscape. Work was also carried out to improve the entrance at the adjacent Reuther Hall.
Unveiling a granite plaque that is set in the new pavement directly outside the station entrance, Councillor McAvoy praised Clyde Gateway both for the quality of the work on the project and the impact the URC was making on the local communities.
He said “Rutherglen Station is very important to everyone who lives and works in the Burgh, and these improvements give it excellent links with Main Street and the bus services on Farmeloan Road. The first-class standards in the design, layout and delivery of this project are very clear evidence of Clyde Gateway’s determination to play its part in the on-going transformation of the Rutherglen community.
“Equally pleasing have been the efforts made to involve local people wherever possible, from providing training and jobs as part of the contract to having pupils at Burgh Primary work on an innovative environmental art project.
“This is just the start of many changes in Rutherglen and Shawfield that Clyde Gateway will be helping to delivery with all of its partners, including South Lanarkshire Council. I look forward to sustaining a long and successful relationship over the next two decades.”
One of three environmental improvement projects across the Clyde Gateway area, the works at Rutherglen Station are the largest in scale and the most expensive at £2m.
Castle Street has been resurfaced in granite setts and new lighting installed, while Green Road was resurfaced and had trees planted on its western side adjacent to the public car park. The car park at the junction of King Street and Castle Street was reconfigured with landscape improvements. The entire area around the station was resurfaced and provided with improved lighting and landscaping.
Victoria Street has been given granite paving, improved lighting and, new car parking spaces.
A gable tenemental wall adjacent to the new Burgh Primary School is now the site of a modern sculpture designed and built by the award-winning Kenny Hunter, whose other works include the tribute to fire-fighters outside Glasgow Central Station.
The provision of real time rail information at the station entrance and on Main Street will improve the service provided to passengers and station users.
As part of the conditions of the contract, ten new trainees in construction skills, all resident in South Lanarkshire, were taken on by the successful contractor, Land Engineering. Three of the trainees are now permanent employees of Land Engineering and are working on another of Clyde Gateway’s improvement projects at Bridgeton Cross in Glasgow.
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “This is a project we embarked upon after consultants had listened to the views of local residents at workshops held in the Town Hall back in 2008.
“Between our improvements and those of the rail authorities in providing the new lifts and ticket office, more than three-and-a-quarter million pounds has been invested in Rutherglen Station and its immediate surroundings which is fantastic news for all of us who want to see improvements in the Burgh.
Clyde Gateway is determined to help deliver a physical, social and economic transformation of the local communities in the years ahead and I’m delighted we have made such an excellent start in such a high-profile and important location.”
CLYDE GATEWAY LAUNCHES NEW 1500 JOB EAST END BUSINESS PARK
Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s biggest urban regeneration company, has launched its first landmark development – one that will bring up to 1500 jobs to Glasgow’s East End.
The £35m business park, to be named Clyde Gateway East, is aimed at attracting both light industrial and office-based companies to locate on a site with unsurpassed links to the major roads network, including the M74 extension and the new East End Regeneration Route.
The groundbreaking was carried out by East End Councillor George Ryan, who is also the City Council’s Executive Member for Business and the Economy, and Andrew McAlpine, of construction company Sir Robert McAlpine – who today started work on the initial infrastructure, earthwork and drainage contract which will prepare the site.
McAlpine, who are already heavily active in the East End on the National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the M74 extension - will employ a number of local people on its Clyde Gateway East workforce.
Councillor Ryan said: “This development is an opportunity for companies to relocate, develop and grow in this area, which is so important to the future growth of Glasgow's economy. It will bring many jobs to an area of high unemployment.”
Mr. Andrew McAlpine said: “Like Clyde Gateway, McAlpine has a substantial commitment to the local community in the East End of Glasgow. We have started the process of finding eight workers from the immediate area to join our team here.”
Clyde Gateway chief executive Ian Manson said: “Clyde Gateway East is the first location many people will see as they approach the city from the east. We want them to decide that this is where they wish to locate their businesses. We envisage a first phase release of development platforms by September this year with two further phases released in early 2011. The first occupants are expected to occupy their buildings by Spring 2011.”
“We are aiming to influence investment decisions both locally and from outwith the city in Scotland and the UK, with every size of company from SMEs to multinationals on our radar. There is an acute shortage of good quality small and medium sized light industrial space within Glasgow, and believe we have a location here which is second to none, only minutes away from the 2014 Commonwealth Games developments with unrivalled transport links.”
The 14 hectare (34 acre) business park is being built on a brownfield site on London Road which has lain unused for over 30 years.
Planning consultancy Halcrow has drawn up a masterplan for the site which has outline planning consent for the erection of business, general industrial and storage and distribution units, and is capable of accommodating bespoke space and buildings with up to 45,000 m2 of business space.
Clyde Gateway East will also bring a number of public realm benefits to residents living in the local community, not least through the development incorporating a specially designed safe and secure path on a linear park down to the River Clyde walkway – opening up new walking and cycling routes to the 2014 Commonwealth Games Village and to Cambuslang.
500 OFFICE JOBS BOOST FOR BRIDGETON
The continued efforts to revitalise the East End of Glasgow have received another lift with the news that a proposed office building in Bridgeton is to be the new home of Glasgow Community Safety Services (GCSS), bringing 500 jobs to the area.
The new 65,000 square foot office block is being developed by Clyde Gateway, at a cost of £9.7million, on a brownfield site at the junction of London Road and Brook Street, just 300 yards east of the historic Bridgeton Cross. The sole occupant will be GCSS and the majority of its workforce will relocate to the East End from various sites in the city centre.
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said: "This is an important milestone in the regeneration proposals for Clyde Gateway and the latest piece of good news for the Bridgeton area. Local residents have given great support to all of our work and activities over the past year, but we never lost sight of the fact that attracting jobs into the area is top of their agenda.
"The jobs from this office development will have a significant impact on the local economy both during the construction phase and its eventual occupation by the 500 staff. More importantly, the fact that an organisation such as GCSS is so keen to place their HQ building in the East End is proof that Clyde Gateway is an area which provides an efficient, effective and attractive place to work."
Phil Walker, managing director of GCSS said: "I’m delighted to announce our move to our new office premises in the East End.
"This move will not only help to regenerate the area, but will also provide a facility for local residents to enjoy, and has been designed to include a community exhibition area.
"The new premises have been tailored to meet our needs and this cost-effective move will allow us to consolidate our staff under one roof, enabling us to streamline our services and provide an even better service to the people of Glasgow.
"The environmental impact of the new facility was an important consideration and the building will be designed to BREEAM ‘excellent’ standards, giving it a top rating for sustainability and environmental performance.
"The area is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with many changes and developments linked to the forthcoming 2014 Commonwealth Games, and I know that everyone at GCSS is eager to be a part of the continued regeneration of the East End."
The new offices will be the only development of its type to start construction in Glasgow this year. Work will get underway in early summer, and GCSS will move in upon completion in March 2012.
Clyde Gateway will work alongside a private sector developer to fund and construct the new office, and discussions are already underway with five potential partners, all of whom have a proven track record in the development industry.
For further information on GCSS go to http://www.saferglasgow.com/
SECRETARY OF STATE VISITS CLYDE GATEWAY AREA
The Secretary of State for Scotland, Jim Murphy MP, paid a visit to the Clyde Gateway area on 17 February 2010, during which he was taken on a guided tour of a number of key development sites and met with some of the construction team currently involvd in the refurbishment work at Bridgeton Cross.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Mr Murphy gave his backing to the work and plans of Clyde Gateway, saying "It’s absolutely brilliant. The area will be entirely transformed and the lives of the people on the East End will be a lot better."
The Secretary of State was the latest in a number of important politicians to have a look at what is happening in and around the Clyde Gateway area, following on from recent visits by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing & Communities, and Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the Deputy First Minister.
EAST END RELOCATION FOR STRATHCLYDE POLICE MOVES ONE STEP CLOSER
The possibility of Strathclyde Police taking an historic decision to relocate the Force Headquarters to a new site in the East End of Glasgow has moved one step closer to being realised.
The Strathclyde Police Authority has agreed to undertake a full and detailed business case, at a cost of up to £1,000,000, to be funded by Clyde Gateway URC, that will look at the design and costs of a new building on a site adjacent to the River Clyde in South Dalmarnock.
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway, said “We have been in discussions with the Police Authority for the past few months, and having listened closely to the requirements they have for a new HQ building, have identified a riverfront site which will be adjacent to the East End Regeneration Route and no more than a half-mile from the M74. It is also within walking distance of Dalmarnock station which will be soon be undergoing an extensive refurbishment that will be completed in advance of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“Clyde Gateway has always been determined to attract a significant and influential anchor employer to this area who would be the first to commit to the vision of the long-term regeneration over the next two decades. I am delighted that the Police Authority has shown this firm belief in what we are setting out to do, and I look forward to working closely alongside them to deliver a business case that will make the relocation from Pitt Street to South Dalmarnock an absolute certainty.”
The development of a full and detailed business case will see the selection of a design team of an architect, engineer, quantity surveyor and project manager to determine all aspects of a new building, including layout, parking, security and costs. It is expected to take around 9 months to complete, with the timescale allowing the Authority to make a final decision in late 2010.
Councillor Paul Rooney, chair of the Strathclyde Police Authority said “It is well documented that the current facilities at force headquarters in Pitt Street are no longer fit for purpose. The Police Authority has been well aware and indeed budgeting for the possibility of relocation.
“However, before any final decisions can be taken, it is imperative that the Police Authority is fully informed of the costs, design and risks associated with relocating.
“We are grateful to Clyde Gateway for providing the finance to proceed with a full business case which will allow the Police Authority to make a fully informed decision in the future.”
A new HQ building is anticipated to cost in the region of £45m and will be home to up to 1200 employees, with a mixture of serving police officers and civilian staff. It would become the single biggest employer in the Clyde Gateway area.
The HQ building could be constructed and fully operational in four years time.
CONSTRUCTION WORK BEGINS AT NATIONAL INDOOR SPORTS ARENA AND SIR CHRIS HOY VELODROME
Construction work has now begun on the National Indoor Sports Arena (NISA) and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, a facility sits in the very heart of the Clyde Gateway area and one which will host two events - badminton and cycling - at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The NISA and velodrome is located on a 10.5 hectare site in the East End of Glasgow, close to Celtic Park and the Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village. The indoor arena has a 5,000 all-seated capacity while the velodrome will have a permanent capacity for 2,000 seated and 500 standing spectators viewing the 250-metre cycle track, to be increased to 4000 seats at Games time for the track cycling events.
The facility will also be a national training centre for athletics, basketball, netball, track cycling and volleyball, providing elite training and an international competition standard venue, while the new headquarters of sportscotland, the national sports agency, will be located on the same site, adjacent to the NISA and velodrome.
The facility will also be the administrative base for several other national sports federations and Culture and Sport Glasgow’s sports development unit. Other features include a community sports centre with sports halls, outdoor floodlit five-a-side courts, extensive health and fitness provision, indoor roller sports park, provision for cycling and a crèche. There will be dedicated and shared facilities for school use. The construction project will require a total workforce of 200, including 20 new apprenticeship places and will be built by Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: "The beginning of the construction of the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is another landmark towards the creation of a world-class sporting complex for Glasgow. The arena and velodrome will be seen around the world when the badminton and indoor cycling events of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games are held here. There will be many other top-class sporting events held at the venue, with fantastic facilities for users to improve their health and fitness, and this will undoubtedly be a fantastic asset to Glasgow and Scotland."
Building work is due to be completed by late Spring in 2012.
CLYDE GATEWAY HELPS SECURE NEW JOBS BOOST FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS
A new factory, bringing 50 new jobs, is being built by construction skills company CCG at Drumhead Road in the Cambuslang Investment Park in Glasgow, adjacent to a new junction on the extended M74 Motorway.
The new employees will work in the off-site construction of timber-framed houses which will then be transported to various sites across Scotland for final fitting. The new factory, which will open in April 2010 will in fact accommodate 70 assembly line employees as 20 staff will transfer from an existing facility in Cumbernauld. It will also be home to office and ancillary staff.
The announcement of the new jobs was made by the Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, during a visit to the location of the factory on 17th November. Accompanied by Alastair Wylie, Chief Executive of CCG and Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway. Ms Sturgeon was given a tour of the facility and also met 4 apprentices, all of whom are from the East End of Glasgow, recently been recruited by CCG.
Clyde Gateway is involved with the new jobs through a package of support for CCG worth £120,000 that will cover recruitment, training and in-work assistance, with the outcome that a minimum of 30 of the 50 new semi-skilled posts at the factory will be filled by people living within the local area.
Ian Manson said "Clyde Gateway is all about taking a whole new approach to regeneration and this includes how we will deliver programmes that bring forward jobs and training opportunities for local residents who are currently out of work.
"The package of support we have put together will allow CCG to move forward with a huge degree of confidence and ensure that 60% of the new jobs arising from their investment in this new factory will be filled by people living locally.
"I’m delighted that a company such as CCG, with its hugely impressive track record and fantastic future prospects are keen to be part of the on-going efforts we are making to transform the fortunes of the area.”
Alastair Wylie was delighted with the partnership CCG was forming with Clyde Gateway.
He said "I am thrilled about the creation of the 50 additional jobs at our new off-site manufacturing facility. Through the support given to us by the URC, we can offer the majority of these positions to residents within this local area.
"CCG has over 30 years experience in the construction industry and is one of the Scotland's largest construction employers. We have a culture of continuous investment in training and are committed to regenerating the area."
CCG is a key member of the City Legacy Consortium which is the preferred bidder for the construction of the Commonwealth Games Athletes Village to be built in Dalmarnock. It is anticipated that many of these new homes will roll off the assembly line at the new factory.
The Deputy First Minister said "This is a real boost to the construction sector. The 2014 Commonwealth Games has the potential to transform one of the most deprived areas of our country.
"That's why we're investing millions of pounds and working hard to ensure that people in the East End of Glasgow and businesses and communities across Scotland benefit from the many new opportunities on offer."
Established in 1974, CCG delivers a wide range of construction services across a number of divisions including joinery manufacturing, flooring, roofing and rending and asset management. The company currently employs approximately 570 full-time equivalent staff including 75 apprentices as part of its commitment to training and the replenishment of skilled labour. The Company’s Head Office is located in Cambuslang Investment Park.
