26 January 2012
SPORTS PROGRAMME GIVES CLYDE GATEWAY YOUNGSTERS A JUMP-START TO HEALTHIER LIVING
Clyde Gateway is playing its part in helping local school children improve their fitness and health through its sponsorship of Jump2it, a programme managed by Scottish Sports Futures, a Glasgow-based charity which delivers “Education through Sport” programmes to disadvantaged young people across Scotland.
Jump2it involves Glasgow Rocks, the professional basketball side which currently plays at the Kelvin Hall in the west end of the city. The programme gives 17 primary schools from the East End and South Lanarkshire the chance to play basketball while at the same time learning about the importance of fitness, healthy eating and the dangers of smoking, drug and alcohol abuse. More than 600 pupils joined stars from Glasgow Rocks, including player-coach Sterling Davis, at the Kelvin Hall for a special event to celebrate the programme and to give awards to the winning schools.
Sterling Davis said, "It is great to see the kids having fun playing basketball here at the Kelvin Hall and to offer them encouragment and advice."
Future Jump2it events will take place at the Commonwealth Sports Arena in the heart of Clyde Gateway with Glasgow Rocks moving there from Kelvin Hall for the start of the 2012/13 professional basketball season.
Niki Spence, project manager for Community Benefits at Clyde Gateway said, "Our partnership with Scottish Sports Futures has been hugely successful in attracting many more youngsters to play basketball. Such work is part of our efforts to improve the health and well-being of local people and to give them the best opportunities to make the most out of their lives."
Further information on the work of Scottish Sports Futures can be found at http://www.ssf.nsdesign6.net/
18 January 2012
WORK SET TO BEGIN ON THREE NEW UNITS AT CLYDE GATEWAY EAST
Developer SCOT Sheridan is set to commence work later this month on the first phase of the £14 million development of Clyde Gateway East Business Park in the East End of Glasgow.
SCOT Sheridan will create 57,500 sq ft of modern, flexible business accommodation in three separate buildings at the park which has a prime location off the newly completed M74 just four miles from Glasgow city centre. The development is accessed close to Junction 2a of the Motorway.
The space will comprise units of 22,200 sq ft, 19,200 sq ft and 16,100 sq ft suitable for production or distribution and each featuring office accommodation, dedicated parking and secure yardage with a rental rate of £6.50 per sq ft. The units will also include the latest Smart Grid technology meaning that prospective tenants can manage their energy more effectively and potentially sell any self-generated power back to the grid.
It is hoped that the business park, which is owned by UK business estate operator MEPC and Clyde Gateway, will eventually support around 700 jobs. Funding for the work - the first major new-build industrial development scheme to be undertaken in Glasgow for over three years – is being provided by MEPC. Construction will be carried out by CCG from Cambuslang and is expected to be completed in late Summer 2012.
David MacLachlan, Director, SCOT Sheridan said;
“We’ve already had a tremendous amount of interest in these speculatively built units due, we believe, to a combination of a superb business location with modern, flexible buildings that put the needs of today’s businesses firmly at the heart of their design. The impressive levels of interest to date confirm our strong belief in the potential of Clyde Gateway East which looks set to attract much-needed jobs to the area in the near future.”
Steve Pritchard, Executive Director of Development at Clyde Gateway said;
“This investment is another great demonstration of the willingness of the private sector to commit to Clyde Gateway. This particular location takes advantage of unrivalled road connections through its proximity to the recent completion of the M74 and is a huge vote of confidence by SCOT Sheridan and MEPC in our on-going and future activities to fully transform the fortunes of our communities.”
More information on Clyde Gateway East is available at www.clydegatewayeast.co.uk or by contacting Alan Gilkison at Ryden on 0141 204 3838 or David Rolwegan at CBRE on 0141 204 7666.
17 January 2012
DALMARNOCK ROAD TO PARTIALLY RE-OPEN EARLIER THAN EXPECTED
The section of Dalmarnock Road, between Bartholomew Street and Springfield Road, which has been closed since November 2010 to allow major bridge replacement works to be carried out as part of the construction of the East End Regeneration Route, is to partially re-open on 18 January, some two and a half months ahead of schedule.
It will re-open to one lane of traffic in each direction, an arrangment that will remain in place until the latest section of the East End Regeneration Route opens in May 2012 when two lanes in each direction will again be available on Dalmarnock Road.
The re-opening of Dlamarnock Road will reduce the levels of traffic that has, for the past 18 months, been diverted onto Strathclyde Street, Swanston Street, Poplin Street and Bartholomew Street.
11 January 2012
SIX MONTHS IN AND FORTY-ONE JOBS AT RED TREE RUTHERGLEN
The Red Tree Business Suites at Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen, which were officially opened in July 2011, have proven to be an instant success. Nine of the eleven suites are now occupied, providing employment for forty-one people.
The rate of occupancy and the number of jobs is well ahead of the expectations, a situation that has delighted Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway who said:-
"Red Tree Rutherglen was a project designed to provide stylish and affordable high quality office space in the heart of the burgh and also to bring the former Housing Office on Stonelaw Road back into economic use.
"When we put the business plan to our Board for its approval we indicated that it could take up to three years to begin to see a significant proportion of the building to be let and four years before full occupancy. It is hugely encouraging that after only six months so many suites have been snapped up with businesses showing a huge keeness to locate in Rutherglen."
All nine of the companies within the Stonelaw Road offices are new to Rutherglen having moved and in most cases expanded from previous premises in Glasgow and other parts of Lanarkshire.
Information on the remaining two suites can be found at www.redtreebusinesssuites.co.uk or by calling 0141 204 3838
10 January 2012
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS
Residents of the East End of Glasgow and Rutherglen, aged between 16 and 25, are being given a unique opportunity to land a job at the Commonwealth Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome which will open in the Dalmarnock area of the city in late 2012.
Thanks to a partnership between Clyde Gateway and Glasgow Life, young people living within the communities covered by Scotland’s biggest regeneration agency will be eligible to enter into a specially designed programme of training, the completion of which will guarantee an interview for the position of Leisure Attendant at the new facility. The training programme will be delivered by Street League, a Glasgow-based organisation with a hugely successful track record of supporting young people and adults into employment or further education through sport.
George Redmond, chair of Glasgow Life and a Board member at Clyde Gateway said “Glasgow Life will begin managing the Commonwealth Sports Arena and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome from this coming March and we will immediately begin the extensive preparations for its opening to the public later in the year.
“The new facility will be one of the biggest and best indoor sports and leisure centres of its type in Europe and a showcase for the sports services we provide at Glasgow Life. While some of the experienced staff working there will transfer from some of our other centres across the city, we will be recruiting fifty-five new staff for a range of positions but predominantly Leisure Attendants.
“We have always said that part of the legacy from the construction of the new facility will be the jobs spin-off for local residents and this new programme with Street League aims to help achieve this. It is tailored for people living in or around the Clyde Gateway communities of Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Rutherglen and Toryglen and is a wonderful opportunity for young people who are currently unemployed to land a secure and well-paid job with future career prospects in sports and leisure.”
The Commonwealth Sports Arena and Velodrome complex is being built by Glasgow City Council who included specific clauses in the tendering process to create employment and business opportunities for local people and companies.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "The companies involved in building the arena and velodrome have played a significant role in ensuring local people benefit from the work, not least with the number of apprentices places created.
"So I'm delighted that Glasgow Life, which will operate the venue on the council's behalf, are continuing in partnership with Clyde Gateway to ensure there are benefits to the local community through this project.”
The new training programme lasts 12 weeks. The first of the intake will begin the training in late January, part of which will include a minimum of 30 hours work experience in an existing sports facility operated by Glasgow Life. The programme, which has been specially customised by Street League, will include a wide range of vocational training including sports coaching and lifeguard training. It will be open to any Clyde Gateway resident aged between 16 and 25 who is registered with either Skills Development Scotland or Job Centre Plus as unemployed. Street League will be responsible for determining suitability and eligibility.
Anyone interested in taking up one of the training place is asked to call Joe or Gilian at Street League on 0141 285 6440 or by e-mail to glasgow@streetleague.co.uk
4 January 2012
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD IN 2012
2011 will go down as an important year for Clyde Gateway. Our involvement in a series of construction projects along with the opening of the Red Tree Business Suites in Rutherglen have seen hundreds of local residents recruited and trained as part of the drive to tackle unemployment. But 2012 promises to be even bigger and more exciting as George Redmond, a local councillor for Bridgeton and Dalmarnock and Board Member at Clyde Gateway, explains.
"Clyde Gateway is playing a huge and important part in transforming the East End and the progress during the past year has been quite astonishing. It's incredible to think that 2012 promises to be even better with the completion of three projects at Eastgate, Red Tree Bridgeton and the Olympia, all of which are generating a huge amount of excitement in the community. The National Indoor Sports Arena and the new Velodrome are also opening their doors in 2012 and so there can be no arguments that the good times are returning again to the East End.
"But of course it goes well beyond physical change and the fact we've already helped around 450 people into work or training is what makes me most proud of all that we are doing."
The Eastgate offices , just 300 yards from Bridgeton Cross at the junction of London Road and Brook Street, will open in Spring and become the new Headquarters of Glasgow Community Safety Services (GCSS). Construction of both Red Tree Bridgeton and the Olympia is expected to be completed by late summer which is also the timescale for the completion of the National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome.
9 December 2011
150-STRONG WORKFORCE ON SITE AT EASTGATE
A team of 150 workers are currently fitting out the Eastgate office building to ensure that it opens on time in Spring 2012 for occupation by Glasgow Community & Safety Services.
The 6000 sq m building, which is being funded by Aviva Investments and being built by Dawn Construction, is on time and budget. The external cladding is in place as is all of the glazing, and the majority of on-going works are connected with the internal fit-out.
Councillor George Redmond, a member of the Clyde Gateway Board said "The pace of work at Eastgate has been astonishing and everyone locally is delighted that everything is on schedule to open early next year. The whole area around the Cross this past few months has been a hive of activity and all you see every day are workmen in hi-visibility vests going to and from their work or queing up in the sandwich shops and dairies at lunchtime and tea-breaks.
"I’ve also met a fair number of local people who have been working on Eastgate all year long and there’s no doubt they’ve been very happy to have been given the opportunity. I’m really looking forward to the office opening next year and the staff from GCSS coming to the East End and playing their part in the on-going regeneration success story."
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said "Eastgate is a very significant project for us as it brings the first 500 permanent office to the area and lays down a marker for what we are capable of delivering. I also think that everyone will be very pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of Eastgate. It will be as impressive as anything you can find in the city centre and it is being constructed to the very highest of environmental and efficiency-saving standards. It is also just three minutes journey time from the city centre which demonstrates just how great a location Bridgeton and Clyde Gateway is for developments of this kind.”
15 November 2011
LOCAL WORKERS MEET DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER
Exactly two years after a previous visit, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon returned to the CCG Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM) factory at Drumhead Road in Cambuslang and met local people whose lives have been transformed thanks to a unique partnership involving Clyde Gateway.
Ms Sturgeon visited the site of the factory in November 2009 and at the time announced that up to 50 new manufacturing jobs would be created, many of which would be targeted at people living in the East End and Rutherglen. The factory is now fully operational and CCG have so far taken on 30 workers with more expected to be added in the coming months.
Clyde Gateway has been working with CCG to deliver a £120,000 package of support covering recruitment, training and on-the-job development to ensure that vacancies are filled locally.
The Deputy First Minister said, "It is fantastic to see this factory up and running - both for the construction sector in Glasgow and for the people involved."
"The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be a huge boost to our economy and will provide a springboard for regeneration in some of our most deprived communities right here in Glasgow. This factory is a wonderful example of the work Clyde Gateway is doing to help local residents take advantage of job and training opportunities and reducing barriers to unemployment. It has made a real difference to these people's lives."
"We are 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 Games. This is an investment in Scotland's future, a lasting legacy we can be proud of and the kind of partnership between the public and private sector that we need."
CCG employee, Paul Doherty said, "After a lengthy period without work, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be taken on at the factory back in August 2010. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my life has been transformed as a result. "
"I'm very proud to be living proof that Clyde Gateway really is making a difference across our communities."
The Deputy First Minster was shown round the premises by Alistair Wylie, the Managing Director at CCG, together with Steven Earlie, the Manager of the OSM accompanied by Neil MacDonald and Ian Manson, the Chair and Chief Executive respectively of Clyde Gateway.
Alistair Wylie said "We're proud of what we have achieved in such a short time since opening the Cambuslang factory and the local workforce have been fantastic. We're all looking forward to starting work early next year on some of the houses that will be part of the Athletes Village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games."
Ian Manson said "It’s great to see the results of our partnership with CCG here at the OSM factory. This clearly shows that the people living in our communities are ready, willing and able to take up those job opportunities that come to the area, which is superb news for any businesses and employers looking to invest within Clyde Gateway."
CCG is one of the three housebuilders who have come together to form the City Legacy consortium to construct the Games Village. Further information can be found at www.citylegacy.co.uk
11 November 2011
REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE AT BRIDGETON CROSS
Staff from Clyde Gateway joined local dignitaries, residents, workers, business owners and schoolchildren as alomst 300 people gathered at Bridgeton Cross to take part in a Remembrance Day Service on the morning of Friday 11 November.
The event was organised by the Bridgeton Cross VC Memorial Group. and jointly conducted by Rev Howard Hudson of St Francis-in-the East Church of Scotland and Fr Steven Dunn of Sacred Heart RC Church. A number of wreaths were laid at the Bridgeton Umbrella as bugler John Kewley played 'The Last Post'.
2 November 2011
NEW CHAIRMAN APPOINTED
Neil MacDonald has been appointed as the new independent chair of Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s biggest urban regeneration company.
He takes over with immediate effect from Dr Robert Crawford who stood down on 31 October after three and a half years in the post, and in doing so steps up to the position having himself been a Clyde Gateway Board member since March 2008.
Neil has enjoyed a successful career in business and industry - on the shop floor, in management and at boardroom level - for almost 50 years. A design engineer by training, his career with a number of prestigious engineering, energy and ship-building firms has seen him work all over the world. He now lives and works in Lanark as proprietor of LEADERS, a management, investment and business consultancy and also holds a number of highly prominent positions in the private and public sectors, past and present.
He is chair of Barr & Wray (Holdings) PLC, a Glasgow-based firm that is a renowned leader in the construction of swimming pools and spa facilities and is also chair of Martin Aerospace Ltd, a Lanark-based firm which supplies precision manufactured products to a number of world-class companies including Rolls-Royce.
Neil is a member of the SMART Scotland Advisory Panel. In the past he sat on a number of Advisory Boards which assisted with the industrial development and investment activities of Scottish Enterprise and he is also a past chair of local training and enterprise trusts in Cumbernauld, East Kilbride and Hamilton.
Neil has been involved with Clyde Gateway since March 2008, sitting on the URC Board as the nominated member for the private sector from South Lanarkshire and has been chair of the Clyde Gateway Audit & Evaluation Committee since November 2008.
Neil said “This is a hugely exciting time to take over from Robert Crawford as the chair at Clyde Gateway and I’m delighted that the three partners at Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise have given me the opportunity.”
“I’ve been hugely impressed with the unique approach to regeneration that Clyde Gateway has taken since its inception. It is an organisation that is already delivering on the ground responding to the needs and wishes of local residents and businesses alike and it is in a great position to help ensure a meaningful and sustainable legacy from all its own activities and the developments associated with the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“As a Board Member since early 2008, I’ve already seen close-up the excellent work of Ian Manson and his talented team of staff. As chair, I intend to use my knowledge and experience to help quietly steer the company along over the next few critical years and to help ensure the fantastic but necessary work continues to deliver a physical, social and economic transformation of the communities in Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Rutherglen and Shawfield.”
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “Neil MacDonald has been a tremendous supporter of Clyde Gateway ever since we were established and his appointment as our new chair is very welcome news. He is incredibly well respected in both the private and public sectors and has a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience that we are very fortunate to be able to take advantage of in the times ahead.”
The Clyde Gateway Board has eleven members in total – two from each of the partners (Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise), two business representative and two representatives from the local communities as well as the independent chair. The role of the chair, as with all Board members, is an unpaid one, with a commitment of up to three days per month.
11 October 2011
ANNUAL REPORT AND NEW COMMUNITY BOOKLET NOW AVAILABLE
The third Clyde Gateway Annual Report, covering the period 1 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, has been published together with a new community booklet 'There's A Lot Happening.'
The Annual Report captures and summarises the progress we have made towards the delivery of our Business Plan and Key Outcomes, as well as providing an update on our efforts to engage with local residents and businesses and our approach to partnership working. This year’s report also has four pages in which eight local residents who have been involved with Clyde Gateway in different ways have give their views on our work so far.
The community booklet, which has been designed by one of the tenants at Red Tree Business Suites in Rutherglen, provides a snapshot of much of what is contained within the Annual Report but devotes a single page to a project, area or activity.
Copies of the both publications can be obtained from Jim Clark on 0141 276 1576 or jim.clark@clydegateway.com
Electronic versions of the Annual Report and the community booklet, together with the Annual Accounts for 2010/11, can be found within the Clyde Gateway publications section of this website.
http://www.clydegateway.com/pages/publications_general.php
29 September 2011
CHAIRMAN OF CLYDE GATEWAY TO STAND DOWN
Robert Crawford, Chair of Clyde Gateway has announced his intention to stand down with effect from 1 November 2011.
His decision comes almost three and a half years after he was appointed as the first independent Chair of Scotland’s biggest urban regeneration company during which time the organisation has made enormous strides in its efforts to deliver a physical, economic and social transformation of its communities in the East End of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.
Robert said “It has been an honour and a privilege to have been part of Clyde Gateway since the beginning of its life back in 2008. The company has grown and developed magnificently and I feel very proud of our achievements in what has been a very difficult operating climate.
“There is far more private sector confidence in the area than there was just a few years ago as can be seen from the decisions by companies such as Aviva, MEPC and SCOT Sheridan to invest millions of pounds in new projects that we have been instrumental in getting off the ground and this bodes very well for the future.
“It is always hugely tempting to remain as part of any success story but I feel after three and a half years that the time is right to stand aside and have someone else take the reins to steer the company forward in this next phase of its activities as Clyde Gateway helps to deliver and ensure so much of the long-term legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“It has been a real joy to Chair a Board of Directors who are passionate about delivering change to the communities. It has also been hugely satisfying over the years to hear from so many local residents who continue to be so wonderfully enthusiastic about all that Clyde Gateway is doing and are genuinely excited about what the future holds. I share their enthusiasm and excitement and I will be watching on with pride and with huge interest as more landmark projects come to fruition.”
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway paid tribute to the departing Chair. He said “Robert has done an incredible job since taking on the task of being the first ever Chair of Clyde Gateway. He understood from the very outset the extent of the challenges facing us and that the solutions to the complex problems demanded an imaginative and whole new approach to regeneration. He very much championed the approach that local people had to be at the very heart of all that we were setting out to achieve and that they had opinions and views that had to be listened to every bit as much as our three partners at Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils and Scottish Enterprise.
“Robert’s knowledge, expertise and experience has been invaluable from the outset and all of the team at Clyde Gateway have been grateful that his style and approach as Chair has really enabled us to get on with delivering the projects that make a difference.”
Among the last acts as Chair, Robert Crawford will preside over the 2011 Annual Public Meeting which is being held in Rutherglen on the evening of Thursday 27 October and a Board meeting on the morning of Monday 31 October.
The constitution of Clyde Gateway requires that the position of Chair is held by an individual who is independent of the three partners – Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise – and discussions will now get underway with each of them to identify a replacement.
20 September 2011
MINISTER VISITS BRIDGETON CROSS AND LAUNCHES NEW CYCLEWAY
Transport Minister Keith Brown MSP has been to Bridgeton Cross and launched, with the help of local school pupils and members of the cycling development charity Free Wheel North, a new on-road segregated two-way cycleway on London Road.
The cycleway is one section of three new routes to link Glasgow Green with a number of key destinations in the East End of Glasgow including Commonwealth Games venues and was built as part of of the 'Smarter Choices Smarter Places' initiative, a £2.5m programme in which Clyde Gateway was a partner along with the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council. It is modelled on those routes available to cyclists in Copenhagen, where an estimated 50% of citizens travel by bike every day, and is one of the first designed this way in an urban setting in Scotland where cyclists are physically separated from the traffic.
Mr Brown said "Investment in walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as on-road cycling training for both children and adults, will help meet the vision set out our ambitious target that at least 10% of journeys are made by bikes by 2020. Our consultations show that perceptions of safety are a key reason for not cycling more often or even at all. Through the ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ programme and our commitment to cycle training for children and adults, we are tackling head on this issue and expanding a network of safe cycling routes.”
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway who was also present at the launch said "The new cycleway on London Road is another great example of how excellent partnership working is changing the look of the communities across Clyde Gateway and helping to make the area more attractive to investors and developers.”
13 September 2011
PARTNERSHIP APPROACH TO DEVELOP CUNINGAR LOOP
Situated at a distinctive bend on the River Clyde not far from the Farme Cross area of Rutherglen, Cuningar Loop is a 27 hectare site, mostly made up of vacant scrub land. It sits directly across the water from the site of the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village, which is currently under construction.
It has always been an important site in the history of Rutherglen and over the past two hundred years it has had several industrial uses including water works, quarrying and mining. After a short period of time as a landfill, the site has been unused for over 40 years becoming increasingly difficult for public access, but all that could soon change thanks to an imaginative partnership between Clyde Gateway and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS).
The organisations are working together to restore Cuningar Loop to an exciting area of public green space with a proposal to develop a woodland park with sport and health at its heart. This will build on the unique character of the space and with the extensive planting of trees and shrubs, as well as the investment in new facilities, will allow the site to be developed as a unique visitor attraction.
FCS is taking the project forward through its WIAT (Woods In and Around Towns) programme and has demonstrated its commitment through joint funding which includes the joint recruitment of a member of staff to work in the Clyde Gateway offices at Bridgeton Cross.
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “Our work to transform the communities that we cover, including Rutherglen and Shawfield, require a wide range of imaginative solutions to different problems. The unique nature of Cuningar Loop, and its importance as a green space in this part of South Lanarkshire, has led us to work up the idea of a new forest, complete with safe and secure walkways.”
The initial investigation works are costing £400,000 and are being split equally between Clyde Gateway and the Forestry Commission Scotland. This activity has been underway since mid 2011 and once completed will lead to up to a further £3.1m of investment to allow the full project, to be completed by the summer of 2014.
Stuart Chalmers, the District Forester with FCS said “This is an ambitious and exciting project which will provide an active and green heart in this important urban regeneration area, as well as a valuable legacy to the Commonwealth Games in 2014.”
Once the initial proposals have been worked up into development ideas, Clyde Gateway and FCS will be asking local residents and businesses for their views and opinions through a public consultation process. The date for this will most likely be early 2012 with the venue being Rutherglen Town Hall or another nearby building. Full details will be made available through websites, adverts, posters and leaflets.
Further information on the WIAT programme, including Cuningar Loop can be found at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/wiat
3 September 2011
GOOD TURNOUT FOR COMMUNITY CONSULATION ON PROPOSED NEW OFFICE DEVELOPMENT
Almost 40 local reasidents and business owners came along to Clyde Gateway's latest community consultion event held on Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 1 September and learned more about a proposal for a new office building and associated uses at Olympia Street/ London Road, capable of providing more than 300 jobs.
The site, which is directly opposite the railway station and adjacent to the taxi rank, was formerly occupied by houses and the Bridgeton Public Halls, all of which were demolished in the 1970s at which point trees and grass were planted on the cleared site. The proposed layout will see approx 60,000 square feet of offices on three floors - which is similar in size to the Eastgate development currently under construction at Brook Street, along with new shops on the ground floor.
The design team will now be taking on board all of the comments submitted and incorporating them into a planning application to be made to Glasgow City Council over the coming months.
15 August 2011
CONSTRUCTION SPIN-OFF BRINGS JOY TO COMMUNITY CENTRE USERS
A spin-off from the extensive construction work being delivered by Clyde Gateway has seen £6000 worth of improvements carried out at the popular and busy Bridgeton Community Learning Campus in Dale Street.
The work has been carried out by Cruden Construction as part of the community benefits clauses that Clyde Gateway attached to the £3.6m contract to deliver the Red Tree Business Suites Bridgeton, a re-development of the derelict shops at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road into thirty new stylish and affordable business units.
Niki Spence, Community Benefits Manager at Clyde Gateway said “Every single one of our contracts contains clauses to ensure that jobs and training places are provided for local residents. In addition we always look for the successful contractor to carry out some sort of work that benefits the wider community. We knew that the users of the learning campus had been looking for funding to carry out improvements at their main entrance and so it seemed was an ideal fit for Crudens to carry out this work as part of the Red Tree Contract.”
The work, which has seen the creation of a landscaped garden immediately outside the main entrance along with repairs and re-painting of some walls, has been given a warm welcome by staff and users of the centre.
Lesley Ward, the campus manager said “This building is an important part of everyday life in Bridgeton regularly used by residents of all ages from infants to the elderly and the improvements have put a big smile on everyone’s faces. It’s these little things that make such a big difference and yet again Clyde Gateway has come up trumps.”
The Bridgeton Community Learning Campus opened in August 2006 and offers free community access in a friendly, accessible environment on the door-step of local people, providing facilities and resources for education, training, sport, recreation and social interaction.
9 August 2011
WORK TO GET UNDERWAY AT DALMARNOCK STATION
Work on the reconstruction of Dalmarnock railway station involving the building of a replacement footbridge, the installation of a lift to ensure it complies with disability access legislation, the resurfacing of the platforms, the introduction of passenger information boards as well as a rebuilt entrance office fronting on to Dalmarnock Road. is to start by the end of August 2011 with an official completion date of November 2013, although project managers are privately confident that it will be finished ahead of schedule, in summer 2013.
Funding for the upgrade has been provided by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Glasgow City Council and Clyde Gateway, together with a grant of £2.8m from European Regional Development Fund secured last year. The project is being overseen by Government agency Transport Scotland and delivered by Network Rail. The exact cost is expected to become clear when the main construction contract is signed, although it is expected to be lower than the £9m budgeted for.
Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, said the award of a preparatory works contract represented a "milestone" in its progress. "The award of this preparatory works contract marks a milestone in the delivery of the Dalmarnock Rail Station Refurbishment, an important factor in the Commonwealth Games and East End Regeneration work.
"Transport Scotland is working closely with Network Rail to identify opportunities that may bring the project completion date forward and we are confident that delivery will be achieved in good time for the Games."
A Network Rail spokesman added: "A contract for preparatory works at Dalmarnock station has been awarded and a contract for the main works will be awarded shortly. We expect to be on-site this month."
Councillor George Redmond, a Board member of Clyde Gateway and whose constituency includes Dalmarnock said "The upgrade of this station is long overdue and I’m delighted the combined efforts of Clyde Gateway, the Council and SPT have brought us to this position that work is about to begin. The new-look station and transport hub will not only be an important aspect for the 2014 Games but a key part of the plans to regenerate the Dalmarnock area through new businesses, commercial developments, offices and houses."
8 August 2011
ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AT FRENCH STREET/DORA STREET. SOUTH DALMARNOCK
A 20-week programme of improvements to the road surfaces and pedestrian footways at French Street and Dora Street in South Dalmarnock got underway today. The cost of the works is £1.275m of which Clyde Gateway has contributed just over £1m.
The works will involve complete new carriageway and footway reconstruction of the full length of French Street and Dora Street up to the junctions with the East End Regeneration Route and Swanston Street, laying granite kerbs with new surface water drainage system and installing new lighting.
The main contractor is TAL Civil Engineering Ltd. While every effort will be made to maintain loading/unloading facilities within the area affected, Glasgow City Council have advised some disruption will be inevitable and it may be necessary for local residents and businesses to liaise with the contractor regarding deliveries/rubbish removal etc, as work progresses.
26 July 2011
£23 MILLION OF INVESTMENT PROVIDES CABINET SECRETARY WITH THE 'WOW' FACTOR
Alex Neil MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment today (26 July) re-visited Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow one year on and said he was ‘highly impressed’ with progress being made on three Clyde Gateway projects with a combined value of over £23 million which will bring 620 permanent jobs to the area.
The Red Tree Business Suites, Bridgeton sees £3.6million being spent on the conversion of the upper-floor of derelict shops and businesses at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road to provide thirty stylish and affordable business units in a variety of sizes for small and medium sized enterprises, which when fully occupied will provide 50 jobs. Construction work, being undertaken by Cruden, began in May 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by May 2012.
The £10m conversion of the Olympia Theatre, a 100-year old listed building that previously served as a theatre, cinema and bingo hall but has lain derelict for almost 20 years is being undertaken by CCG and got underway in March 2011 with a scheduled finish of November 2012. The Olympia will then become home to a new state-of the art library, a centre of excellence for Amateur Boxing in Scotland as well as two floors of commercial office space, all of which will support 70 jobs.
Work on Eastgate, which is Glasgow’s largest new-build office development (6,000 sq m) on London Road just 300 yards east of Bridgeton Cross is being carried out by Dawn Construction. Eastgate will be ready for occupation in Spring 2012 as the home to the 500 employees of Glasgow Community and Safety Services, a partnership organisation between the police and fire services and Glasgow City Council to prevent crime, tackle anti-social behaviour and promote community safety across the city. The £9.7 million cost of Eastgate is being provided by Aviva Investors, the UK’s largest real estate manager.
In addition to the 620 permanent jobs the three locations will provide, at peak activity, 95 construction workers with employment.
Alex Neil said “I am delighted to revisit the Bridgeton projects and see the progress being made as part of the regeneration of the East End of Glasgow.
“It is encouraging to see derelict properties take on a new life as they are redeveloped to meet the modern needs of our local communities. These in turn will serve to provide much needed jobs in the area and offer a variety of facilities for local people to enjoy for years to come.”
George Redmond, the local councillor for Bridgeton and a Clyde Gateway Board member said “All three of these projects are improving how the area around Bridgeton Cross looks and of course they are bringing much welcomed jobs to the community. But the impact of this unprecedented level of investment goes much further than that.
“The Dalmarnock Road shops have been an eyesore and a blight on Bridgeton for years, while the Olympia has towered over the Cross as a symbol of the area’s proud heritage. Everyone you speak to locally is hugely excited by all of this activity and looking forward to everything opening over the 18 months. I’m particularly pleased with the progress on Eastgate as the 500 staff from GCSS will be the first wave of what will eventually be tens of thousands of jobs attracted to Clyde Gateway over the coming years.
Alan Macdonald, chairman of Dawn Group, said: “Construction is progressing well at Eastgate and once complete it will really transform this area of Bridgeton, both in physical and economic terms, and act as a catalyst for further regeneration.
“Along with the £200m Collegelands development, this is our second major project currently on the ground in the east end of Glasgow and we want to ensure that it leaves a lasting positive impact. As one of Scotland’s leading constructions companies, we are committed to creating employment and training opportunities for local residents during the construction period to equip them with valuable experience and transferable skills which will stand them in good stead long after the development is complete.”
19 July 2011
CABINET SECRETARY OPENS NEW BUSINESS CENTRE IN RUTHERGLEN
Alex Neil MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment has officially opened a new business Centre which has the potential to bring 40 new jobs to Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire.
Red Tree Business Suites Rutherglen provides 11 stylish and affordable business units in a variety of sizes for small and medium sized enterprises in a prime location in the very centre of the town.
Red Tree Rutherglen is a development being taken forward by Clyde Gateway, the urban regeneration company which covers the East End of Glasgow as well as Rutherglen and Shawfield in South Lanarkshire as part of its on-going efforts to help Rutherglen Town Centre have a viable future and bring new jobs to the area.
The development, which was the conversion of a former housing office on Stonelaw Road, was completed at the beginning of June, and within the first three weeks, four of the suites had been snapped up. All four of the early tenants are small sized businesses with ambitions for growth. Three of them have two employees within each of the suites while the fourth currently has 9 staff. With a full-time receptionist also working at Red Tree, a total of 16 jobs have already been created.
Alex Neil said "It is my pleasure to open the Red Tree Business Suites - a top quality facility that will support companies interested in locating to, or expanding within, the Clyde Gateway area.
"We are committed to the Clyde Gateway project, one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in Scotland. That is why we have provided over £70 million to Clyde Gateway so far.
"The fact that it has emerged ahead of schedule is a tangible sign of the confidence that business has in the economic future of Scotland, and of this area in particular."
"Together with the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Clyde Gateway's plans have the potential to transform one of the most deprived areas of our country. They can help provide new housing, jobs, retail and leisure facilities, attracting additional investment and allowing local people to take advantage of the many new opportunities on offer."
The total cost of the conversion of the Housing Office was £1.6 million, of which Clyde Gateway is contributed just under £1 million with a grant of £650,000 being awarded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “Red Tree Rutherglen is part of ours and South Lanarkshire Council’s ambitions to ensure a sustainable future for the town centre. Our top priority is to bring new jobs to all the communities within Clyde Gateway and the suites at Red Tree are just the beginning for Rutherglen.
“I’m delighted at the early interest that has been shown in Red Tree Rutherglen and we have seen four of the eleven suites occupied almost immediately the day building work ended. There is clearly a demand for affordable business spaces of this quality in such a prime location and over the coming months we will be working hard to fill the remaining units and bring more jobs to the town Once the remaining suites have been let, as many as 40 jobs could be accommodated within Red Tree.”
“Rutherglen is a fantastic location, particularly thanks to its excellent public transport links. There aren’t many towns in Scotland that can boast of at least twelve trains per hour all day long as well as regular bus services to Glasgow and all corners of South Lanarkshire. These are the sort of things which are becoming ever increasingly important to businesses and employers.
Further information on the Red Tree Business Suites can be found at www.redtreebusinesssuites.co.uk
14 July 2011
£14 MILLION PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN CLYDE GATEWAY EAST
Two leading UK property development companies have signed deals to invest £14m in Clyde Gateway East business park in the East End of Glasgow.
SCOT Sheridan and MEPC will build respectively, 60,000 sq ft and 140,000 sq feet of industrial units on the site, which has lain undeveloped for almost 40 years. The overall investment is worth £14m and will support 700 jobs in one of the highest unemployment areas of Scotland.
The deals have already been hailed by Alex Neil, the Scottish Government’s infrastructure and capital investment secretary, as the first major spin-off from the opening on June 28 of the completed M74 – which passes within yards of the site, and whose Junction 2a leads directly into the business park.
Clyde Gateway East is a new business park on a long-derelict and brownfield site extending to 36 acres at a location four miles south-east of Glasgow city centre.
It is a strategic development with capacity of approximately 400,000 sq ft of business space. It has planning consent for business, general industrial and storage and distribution uses.
The decision by Clyde Gateway to purchase the site and proceed with the development is linked to the proximity of Junction 2a of the completed M74, which opened on June 28.
The total cost of the final development of Clyde Gateway East has been estimated at £35m, and the Masterplan for the site has identified the potential to accommodate up to 1,350 jobs.
Clyde Gateway purchased the site from Scottish Enterprise in March 2009 and adopted a strategy to remediate and provide the requisite infrastructure with a view to de-risking development opportunities for the private sector. In March 2010, Sir Robert McAlpine was appointed as contractor to deliver these initial works which have been completed to coincide with the M74 extension opening.
The first phase of development was sought through a public procurement exercise and will be delivered by SCOT Sheridan, with MEPC as funding partner. It will involve the construction of 60,000 sq ft of speculative industrial development units in three separate buildings of 17,000 sq ft, 20,000 sq ft and 23,000 sq ft.
A planning application has been lodged, with an anticipated site start of September 2011 and completion by April 2012. This will be the first major speculative new-build development scheme to be undertaken in Scotland for over three years.
In tandem with the public procurement exercise, an approach was made to Clyde Gateway by MEPC to acquire further plots at Clyde Gateway East, capable of accommodating another 140,000 sq ft of industrial units to accommodate bespoke requirements, design and build enquiries and subsequent speculative development.
Clyde Gateway, SCOT Sheridan and MEPC have, in addition, agreed a joint marketing and management strategy for Clyde Gateway East. The marketing agents for the first phase being provided by SCOT Sheridan are Ryden and CBRE, and all parties are encouraged by the early positive responses from the market.
SCOT Sheridan Director David MacLachlan said “We believe that this is one of the best industrial sites in west central Scotland and when combined with the modern, flexible business accommodation we intend to build, will have great appeal for potential tenants. The fact that we are building on a speculative basis shows our strong belief that the site has the potential to attract leading businesses and hundreds of jobs and will play a significant role in the regeneration of the area.”
MEPC CEO Rick de Blaby said: “It’s an important strategic acquisition for us, where we hope to replicate and deliver a modern Hillington Park. The infrastructure that Clyde Gateway has committed to this area of Glasgow is enormous and we are happy to invest alongside that.”
Clyde Gateway’s Executive Director of Development Steve Pritchard said “This investment by is the most important day so far in Clyde Gateway’s three-year history. Our vision and ambition for the area can only be achieved if the private sector is willing to back our judgement and bring investment to the various development opportunities we are delivering to the market. It is highly significant that MEPC and SCOTSheridan, two of the most highly respected and prominent firms in the commercial property industry, are prepared to invest in and take up 50% of the capacity of Clyde Gateway East, the first of what will be many large-scale developments within the East End and in South Lanarkshire, and it really does bode well for the future.”
28 June 2011
M74 MOTORWAY COMPLETE AND OPEN
The long-awaited final section of the M74 Motorway, running from the Fullarton junction at the eastern edge of the Clyde Gateway area, through to the M8 at Tradeston just south of the Kingston Bridge, was opened to public traffic on the evening of 28 June 2011.
The road is critical in helping Clyde Gateway deliver on its long-term targets around jobs and investment, with many brownfield sites that have lain vacant and derelict for many decades now being much more accesible than before.
"The completion of the M74 Motorway was always intended to be more than just another five miles of new road, designed and built to speed up journey times to and from Glasgow city centre" said Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway.
He added "The economic case for the road promised that new developments, investment and jobs would be created as a result of its construction, particularly in the Clyde Gateway communities. The early indications, as can be seen from the high level of interest in our new business park at Clyde Gateway East, are that the road will deliver on the promises made in the economic case."
Alex Neil MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment said "The M74 Motorway will bring major economic and social benefits to businesses, communities and industry in the west of Scotland and the country as a whole. "
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council said "This road is of major significance to the city. Its completion will bring opportunities for thousands of individuals and businesses, support east end regeneration and help us deliver the best possible Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games."
8 June 2011
CONSTRUCTION WORK BEGINS ON GAMES VILLAGE
Construction work is off and running on the £150million City Legacy Homes development, to be used as the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village and a new neighbourhood for the city thereafter.
The successful development of the 38.5 hectares site in Dalmarnock will be a key component in the delivery of the Games. The Village will provide accommodation and facilities for 6,500 competitors and officials on a site only three miles from Glasgow City Centre and beside the new M74 extension.
After the Games, the Village will become a desirable new residential community - the first stage will include 304 private houses, 300 homes for rent, 100 homes for mid-market rent and a new 120 bed care home for the elderly.
The removal of the temporary facilities within the Athletes’ Village after the Games will release additional land for further residential development.
The Athletes’ Village will be built by the City Legacy Consortium, which is made up of developers and contractors CCG, Cruden, Mactaggart & Mickel and W H Malcolm, all of whom have an unparalleled local track record of residential development and job creation.
The proposal for the Athletes’ Village has high design and environmental standards and will deliver a highly desirable new residential neighbourhood within Glasgow’s East End. The development will deliver a minimum 60% reduction in carbon emissions from the new homes to be constructed - a first in Scotland for a development of this scale, of over 1400 homes and the care home when complete.
Much more than a typical housing development, for the duration of this regeneration project, City Legacy will also bring community benefits to the city by generating employment and training opportunities and creating opportunities for small to medium sized enterprises and social enterprises, helping to create a lasting legacy for the East End of Glasgow.
One example of this is the number of new jobs - 93 - that will be created as part of an overall direct workforce of 620, including 60 apprentices. The partnering agreements with sub-contractors and suppliers will see 36 new jobs being created there, 24 of which will be apprentices. The indirect workforce will be around 200.
Clyde Gateway chief executive Ian Manson said "The construction of the Athletes Village is not simply about new and much-needed housing in the area but also about supporting local people into work. Our partnership with CCG, one of the three housebuilders who form City Legacy, has already provided more than 20 people with jobs and apprenticeships in their Cambuslang factory where they are constructing the kit houses."
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: “Today marks the beginning of work on a historic project that will not only deliver a fantastic new neighbourhood for Glasgow, but provide a home for athletes competing in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. This development will leave one of the most visible examples of both the legacy from the Games and Glasgow’s regeneration, with the plans showing homes that will provide a memorable environment for athletes in 2014 and an attractive location for all those living in the development thereafter. The construction of City Legacy Homes is a great opportunity for Glasgow to show what we can do on a world stage.”
Ed Monaghan of City Legacy said: “The City Legacy Consortium is investing £150m to transform the area into a much sought after riverside residential location which showcases the Athletes’ Village as the best in contemporary and sustainable design. We are proud to be part of building a lasting legacy for the East End of Glasgow and bringing job opportunities into the area.”
Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, said: "The Athletes' Village will be one of the most important aspects of the legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and this successful milestone shows we remain on track towards delivering an outstanding Commonwealth Games - on time and on budget. The construction of the athletes' village will create fantastic opportunities for the local neighbourhood by sustaining jobs, regenerating the east end of Glasgow and contributing towards Scotland's economic recovery.”
John Scott, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014, said: “It’s great to witness the beginning of construction at the Athletes’ Village, which has started on time. Designed for athletes in consultation with athletes, the Village promises to be a true ‘home from home’ experience for the 6,500 athletes and officials from all over the world coming to Glasgow in 2014. The Athletes’ Village will be right on the doorstep of the new spectacular NISA and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and this proximity helps us deliver on our commitment to making this a truly athlete centred and sport focused Games.”
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “It is great to see the Athletes’ Village construction get underway. The Village is the heartbeat of every Games, providing that important home from home for all the athletes as they prepare for the performance of their lives. There has been a lot of input so far from our athletes into the Village planning process and we will continue to work closely with the Organising Committee to ensure that when completed, it offers the best possible athlete experience and resulting performances.”
For more information on the development, please visit www.citylegacy.co.uk
26 May 2011
OLYMPIA BOXING CLEVER AS £10 MILLION REVAMP BEGINS
Work has begun on a £10m project to bring the historic Olympia Theatre in Bridgeton back into use exactly 100 years after its initial opening.
Clyde Gateway is spending £10m purchasing and converting the building into a public library and café, sports facilities for elite amateur boxers and high-quality commercial office spaces. The 18-month scheme was developed after extensive consultations during 2009 and 2010 during which local residents and business owners asked Clyde Gateway to purchase the disused Theatre and find a new and viable use for the building.
George Redmond, the local councillor for the Bridgeton area and Board Member of Clyde Gateway, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see this work begin. The Olympia is a hugely important symbol of Bridgeton’s rich heritage and local residents have been anxious for a long time to both save the building and allow future generations of Eastenders to enjoy it.
“This new lease of life for the Olympia will improve the health, wellbeing and education of local residents. The community is genuinely excited about the project and are thrilled at the idea of the facilities that will be at the very heart of Bridgeton Cross. It is also a key part of the overall Clyde Gateway regeneration for the area as well as a true legacy from Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games.”
Upon completion in November 2012 the Olympia will comprise: a public library and cafe; high performance centre and HQ for the National Governing Body for Amateur Boxing; and commercial lettable office space.
Built as a theatre in 1911, the Category B Listed building also served as a cinema for 50 years. It has lain derelict for almost two decades and was severely damaged by fire in 2004. Its purchase by Clyde Gateway was the first time the building had been in public ownership.
The £10m costs of purchase and restoration has attracted funding from a wide range of sources including Clyde Gateway, The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Historic Scotland, Glasgow City Council’s Better Glasgow Fund, Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund, sportscotland, the Glasgow Trades House and the Hugh Fraser Foundation.
The new Olympia building will take the following shape:
Ground floor – Public library and cafe
Public Library with integrated cafe facility and multi functional space to accommodate a range of leisure and educational activities. Specific archives will be created on local history, music hall and cinematic history and specific sport history focussed on Glasgow.
First floor – Elite Boxers training centre
High performance centre for elite athletes in Boxing – one of the core sports in the Commonwealth Games and one with a rich tradition in the East End of Glasgow. Amateur Boxing Scotland have an option to relocate their HQ within the Olympia.
Second and Third floors – Office space
Commercial lettable office space, totalling 10,000 sq ft, adjacent to Bridgeton Railway Station.
The contract to re-develop the Olympia was awarded to the Glasgow-based firm of CCG (Scotland) Ltd following a competitive tender process. As part of the community benefits clauses insisted upon by Clyde Gateway in all of its main contracts, CCG will provide a minimum of eight local residents with jobs or training places during the construction process.
Jimmy McLellan is a local resident who sits on a local community steering group that advises Clyde Gateway. He said “The re-opening of the Olympia in November 2012 will be one of the best things to happen in the Bridgeton area for decades. We are all excited by the idea of the library and café being the home to all sorts of activities for residents of all ages as well as the plans for the boxers on the upstairs floor. It is incredible to think that after so many years of neglect, this fabulous old building, which holds so many incredible memories for so many people in the community, will soon be re-opening its doors and bringing a whole new vibrancy to the area.”
The Olympia opened in September 1911 was envisaged as Glasgow’s equivalent of the Palladium Theatre in London. It has served as a variety theatre, cinema, bingo hall and furniture shop before closing its doors in 1993. The building suffered major fire damage in 2004 but in the intervening period the site had received planning permission to be converted into flatted accommodation.
20 May 2011
DESIGN AWARD FOR SOUTH DALMARNOCK
Clyde Gateway’s continuous efforts to transform its neighbourhoods and communities have been acknowledged at the 2011 Scottish Design Awards.
The South Dalmarnock Masterplan, which is Clyde Gateway’s vision to take the substantial pieces of vacant and derelict land and create a new neighbourhood incorporating a range of uses including residential, business, industrial, commercial, transport and civic, has been declared the winner of the 2011 Placemaking/Masterplan category.
The Masterplan Design Team was made up of staff from the Glasgow office of the architectural firm Sheppard Robson, working alongside Martin McKay and Alison Brown from Clyde Gateway. As well as setting out suggestions for how South Dalmarnock might change over the coming years, it also offers suggestions for solving long-standing technical and infrastructure issues including water, drainage and sewerage problems.
Clyde Gateway consulted extensively on the Masterplan over a six-month period from August 2009 – January 2010 including three distinct stages of community engagement with meetings and seminars at venues in Dalmarnock and Bridgeton. The community views expressed during the consultation period allowed the Masterplan Design Team to incorporate substantial changes and improvements which led to the final document being one that best serves the needs and interests of local residents and businesses.
Collecting the award at a ceremony held in Glasgow on 19 May, Alison Brown, Clyde Gateway Project Manager for South Dalmarnock said "It is always hugely pleasing to be acknowledged in this way. This award might have been handed over to the Masterplan Design Team but we could never have won it without the superb input we got from everyone during the consultation process, so it really is one to be shared with people who live and work in the community."
The next aspect of implementing the details of the Masterplan will see Clyde Gateway, over the coming months, having further community consultations on the possible development of the site of the former Dalmarnock Power Station.
6 April 2011
NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER RIVER CLYDE SET FOR CONSTRUCTION
Clyde Gateway has unveiled plans to construct a new pedestrian bridge that will span the River Clyde and link the communities of Dalmarnock and Shawfield.
The bridge is an important part of proposals being developed to create a new National Business District in Shawfield as it will provide quick access to and from the new transport hub which is to be developed around Dalmarnock Station over the next three years. The construction of the bridge will half the walking time from the station to the National Business District to under 10 minutes.
The National Business District will be the re-development of the area that is bounded by the south bank of the River Clyde, Shawfield Stadium and Glasgow Road in Rutherglen. The cost of the bridge has been set at £4.75m of which £1.9m will be a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund.
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said "The re-development of the Shawfield area is every bit as important as our work to deliver physical, social and economic change in the East End of Glasgow. There are big chunks of land in Shawfield that require substantial investment to remove contamination, and since day one of Clyde Gateway being established, delivering on this has been a priority."
"We see Shawfield, with its superb location on the south bank of the River Clyde, not far from the city centre or the historic burgh of Rutherglen, as an area of enormous potential. We want to establish a newly designated National Business District, adjacent to the completed M74 Motorway, as a location more than capable of being the home to thousands of new jobs in years to come."
"The smart-bridge is part of a vision and strategy to deliver infrastructure and development within Shawfield and Dalmarnock. It is very pleasing to receive this additional funding through Europe, but we are also delighted and see it as highly significant that support is being given to something which is part of our medium and longer term efforts to create jobs and bring investment."
The work on the bridge is due to start in late 2012 with a completion date of mid 2013 which ties in with the completion of the £8m redevelopment of Dalmarnock Station and the transport hub.
4 March 2011
SUCCESS OF YOUTH JOBS FUND IN SOUTH LANARKSHIRE LEADS TO GLASGOW EXPANSION
The outstanding results of an initiative to support young people in South Lanarkshire has led to the scheme being expanded and launched in Glasgow.
The Youth Jobs Fund was initially established and run by South Lanarkshire Council in 2009 to provide specialist support to assist young people into employment. Clyde Gateway has been involved with the Fund since April 2010, and in the first year of partnership, was able to support 12 jobs for young people from South Lanarkshire across a variety of disciplines.
The success within South Lanarkshire has led to the launch today (4 March) of the Clyde Gateway Youth Jobs Fund for Glasgow under which 50 young people, aged 16 and 17, from the communities of Bridgeton, Calton, Camlachie, Dalmarnock, Oatlands and Toryglen will be supported to take advantage of opportunities in office-based work, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and construction.
The Glasgow programme is a partnership with the City Council and the charity Action for Children Scotland which already runs a successful Youthbuild programme that finds work in the construction industry for young people.
Niki Spence, the Community Benefits Manager at Clyde Gateway said, "Our efforts in South Lanarkshire delivered exceptional results over the past 12 months and every youngster who was eligible and wanted support was able to go on and find a job thanks to the Youth Jobs Fund.
"It makes perfect sense to look to use a similar model in Glasgow where the numbers of youngsters requiring help are expected to be larger, and so we are looking to support 50 local youths from right across Clyde Gateway in the east and south-east of the city. Our aim is to match the success of the South Lanarkshire programme and ensure that everyone supported by the Fund finds full-time employment."
Further information is available from Niki Spence on 0141 276 1577.
1 March 2011
EYESORE BUILDING TO BE GIVEN £3.6MILLION MAKEOVER
Work is set to get underway on a multi-million project that will both transform a Bridgeton eyesore and have the potential to bring 45 new jobs to the East End of the city.
Clyde Gateway is to convert the upper floor premises at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road that have lain vacant and derelict for more than 20 years into business suites as part of its on-going plans to help transform the local communities, and in particular to revitalise the economy of the area around Bridgeton Cross.
Going by the name of ‘Red Tree Business Suites Bridgeton’, the project will create just under 18,000 square feet of flexible, stylish and affordable business space, consisting of up to thirty-five office units, starting from 200 square feet in size. The total cost of the project is £3.6m, of which Clyde Gateway is contributing £2.46m with a grant of £1.14m being awarded by the European Regional Development Fund.
George Redmond, the local councillor for the Bridgeton and Dalmarnock area and a Clyde Gateway Board member said “These properties have lain vacant for decades and they’ve been a total eyesore and a blight on the area. Bringing them back into use was something asked of Clyde Gateway during our earliest consultations with local residents, and I’m delighted that we are going to do so in a way that will not only improve how the area looks but will also bring vital new jobs to Bridgeton”.
“When you also add in the work already carried out at Bridgeton Cross, the plans for re-opening the Olympia Building as well as the new Eastgate office development at nearby Brook Street, it is clear that Clyde Gateway is delivering on its promises to deliver a physical, economic and social transformation of the communities in the East End.”
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “It is vitally important for the area around Bridgeton Cross to have a viable future and bringing new jobs to the area is one way of ensuring this”.
“500 staff from Glasgow Community Safety Services will be here in just over a year’s time, and they will be joined by another 45 professionals once the Red Tree Business Suites are fully occupied.”
He added, “What Clyde Gateway is offering at the Red Tree Business Suites, both at Bridgeton and a sister development we are undertaking at Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen is something very attractive to start-up businesses as well as those existing firms and companies who want to occupy modern open-plan spaces at a very affordable and attractive rental.
“Bridgeton is a fantastic location, particularly thanks to its excellent public transport links, with very regular and reliable train services that will get you to Glasgow city centre in under five minutes as well as directly to many parts of South Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire. These are the sort of things which are becoming ever increasingly important to businesses and employers.”
Clyde Gateway has purchased all of the upper-floor properties at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road as well as some of the ground-floor locations to allow the best possible design and access points to the Business Suites.
The contract to convert the properties has been awarded to the Glasgow-based firm of Crudens who were successful following a competitive tender process. Crudens will be move on-site in April 2011 and it will take 12 months to complete work.
As part of the community benefits clauses insisted upon by Clyde Gateway in all of their projects, Crudens will be provide two jobs and one training place for local residents and carry out some improvements to the nearby Bridgeton Community Learning Campus.
Although the conversion will not be completed until early 2012, Clyde Gateway will soon begin to market the property through letting agents with the aim of having the first occupants move in immediately once the building is ready.
Red Tree Business Suites Bridgeton is the second set of affordable office suites to be delivered by Clyde Gateway.
Work on Red Tree Business Suites Rutherglen, which involves the conversion of the former Housing Office on Stonelaw Road, began in November 2010 and will be ready for occupation from the end of May 2011.
2 February 2011
COUNCIL LEADER CUTS CEREMONIAL SOD AT EASTGATE
The Leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Gordon Matheson, today (2 February) launched construction at Eastgate, the £10 million office development by Dawn Group. A vital part of the first phase of the Clyde Gateway regeneration project, Eastgate will transform a derelict site at Glasgow's Bridgeton Cross and provide much needed employment and training opportunities to the local community.
Councillor Matheson was joined by Alan Macdonald, chairman of Dawn Group; Ian Manson, chief executive of Clyde Gateway; Phil Walker, managing director of Glasgow Community and Safety Services (GCSS) and Renos Booth, fund manager at Aviva Investors to mark the milestone as construction begins at the development.
Funded by Aviva Investors, the largest manager of real estate in the UK, Eastgate will house 500 staff from GCSS following the agreement of a 20 year lease with Glasgow City Council. The 6,000sq m Grade A office building will be fitted out by Glasgow City Council arm's-length construction company City Building.
The development will also create employment within the city, with Dawn Group and City Building providing opportunities for up to 70 local residents in the form of full-time posts, modern apprenticeships, training placements and work experience.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, the Leader of Glasgow City Council, said "I'm delighted this new development is getting off the ground."
"Dawn Group is bringing jobs, modern apprenticeships or a combination of training placements and work for local people, GCSS is getting a new home, and Clyde Gateway's effort to regenerate the east end of the city are receiving a huge boost.
"It's a win-win for everyone involved."
Alan Macdonald, chairman of Dawn Group, said: "We are delighted to get construction underway at Eastgate, our second major project on the ground in the east end of Glasgow, marking what will be a real transformation for the area both in physical and economic terms.
"Dawn Group is committed to playing its role in ensuring that Eastgate leaves a lasting positive impact on Glasgow. This is why we will be creating employment and training opportunities for local residents during the construction period to equip them with valuable experience and transferable skills."
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said : "This is a very significant day for everyone involved with Clyde Gateway. The Dawn Group and Aviva are the first of what I’m certain will be many private sector companies and institutions who will be investing in projects right across the communities over the next 20 years.
The economic transformation promised by Clyde Gateway can only be fully delivered if there is successful partnership between the public and private sectors with everyone committing themselves totally to the plans we have in place. Dawn and Aviva have certainly shown their belief in what we are doing by committing £10m to Eastgate."
The event also saw the unveiling of a striking 100 metre mural showcasing the talents of pupils from Eastbank Academy in nearby Shettleston. Assisted by WAVE, a Glasgow-based arts organisation, more than 100 students and six members of staff worked alongside professional artists Peter McCaughey and Jenny Sykes, writer Chris Dolan and graphic designers 6274 to complete the design.
Details and further information on the 100 metre mural can be found at http://www.londonroadmural.co.uk
4 November 2010
LONG-TERM CLOSURE OF DALMARNOCK ROAD
A section of Dalmarnock Road, between Bartholomew Street and Springfield Road, is to be closed for a period of 14 months to allow major bridge replacement works to be carried out as part of the construction of the East End Regeneration Route.
Diversions will be via Strathclyde Street, Swanston Street, Poplin Street and Bartholomew Street(and vice versa).
Access to Nuneaton Street and Mordaunt Street will be via Dunn Street and London Road (and vice versa)
The closure will take effect from 11pm on Saturday 6th November. The works are scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2012.
