Contractors Europe-wide interested in delivering City Deal projects
Funded by almost half of the £274 million investment in Renfrewshire through the Glasgow City Region City Deal, the two projects will help secure the area’s long term economic growth and cement the region as Scotland’s economic powerhouse.
The plans include a new opening vehicular and pedestrian bridge across the Clyde, the creation of a world-class business and commercial location in the heart of Renfrewshire, a new bridge across the White Cart River and new road and cycle routes.
They are intended to significantly boost the local and regional economies by improving connections across the communities, attracting investment, supporting businesses and creating jobs.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan is also the Glasgow City Region Cabinet Lead for Enterprise. He said: “There is huge interest in these exciting projects and it is clear that contractors are very keen to be involved in delivering them.
“This builds on the overwhelming support from local people, which came through loud and clear in our recent public engagement events. The feedback positive with more than 80 per cent of people stating their support for both projects .
“These will benefit people in every community within Renfrewshire and across our wider Glasgow City Region, so it’s absolutely no surprise people are eager to see how they will take shape.
“For contractors it is a rare opportunity to be involved in delivering large scale projects that will have such a lasting legacy. It is fitting that representatives of leading companies across the UK and Europe travelled to be at this event and that reflects the ambitious and historic nature of these projects.”
The £90.7 million Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project involves the creation of a new ‘opening’ bridge across the River Clyde.
It will link communities on either side of the river to give people easier access to jobs, education opportunities, health services, entertainment and leisure facilities.
The Glasgow Airport Investment Area project is a £39.1 million initiative to generate business growth and attract inward investment.
Including the realignment of Abbotsinch Road, a new bridge across the White Cart and new cycle routes, it will improve connections between the Westway, Inchinnan and Airport Business Parks to deliver a world class commercial offering centred around the airport.
Information from the event, which included market engagement questionnaires and one to one discussions with several Tier 1 contractors, will be used to inform the Procurement & Contract Strategy for both projects.
It is expected that the tendering process for the construction contracts will begin in late 2017 with construction expected to start in summer 2018.
Both projects were approved by Renfrewshire Council in November with funding green-lit by the Glasgow City Region Cabinet in December.
Hundreds of people turned out to hear about two of the projects during four public engagement events in Paisley, Renfrew, Clydebank and Yoker during December.
Feedback from these events, which focused on the ‘Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside’ and ‘Glasgow Airport Investment Area’ projects, the events in Paisley, Renfrew, Clydebank and Yoker revealed was overwhelmingly positive with more than 80 per cent of people stating their support for both projects and less than 7 per cent stating they weren’t supportive of the projects.
This was consistent with the support levels shown in the previous engagement events during May and June last summer.
The project team will now use the feedback received to help progress the project designs. There will be another opportunity to view the latest plans and for you to provide further feedback ahead of the submission of planning applications for both projects in the summer of 2017.
Details of these future engagement events will be publicised as soon as they are finalised – sign up to the City Deal mailing list via the City Deal website to be kept updated.
