EAST Renfrewshire Council is set to bring the Cowan Park Gate lodge in Barrhead back into community use.
It comes following extensive consultation with the local community, with the ‘overwhelming’ majority said they’d like to see toilets, food provision and CCTV to the facility.
Strathaven-headquartered Procast have been contracted to carry out the works, which will see local charity, Include Me 2 Club, lead a social enterprise hub, cafe and bike workshop – with the site also having public toilets.
Procast MD, Frank McManus, said, “We as a business are absolutely delighted to have been appointed to deliver this fantastic restoration project for East Renfrewshire Council. The existing Edwardian single storey sandstone building was originally constructed circa 1830 so all restoration works will be carried out in a sympathetic manner respecting the great history of this beautiful building.
“The lodge is located within Cowan Park grounds and directly at the existing main entrance from Darnley Road. The site team and our supply chain partners will share this access with members of the public and the parks maintenance team with both vehicular and foot traffic so stringent traffic management and public protection protocols will be followed at all times.”
Paul McIlvenny, Include Me 2 Club SCIO chairperson, added, “We are delighted to be working on this project with East Renfrewshire Council to bring about the changes to a fantastic community asset that will benefit so many people within the organisation, and have a wider community impact. We can’t wait to bring this building back to life, with a coffee shop, bike hub, meeting spaces, public toilets and creating new jobs, alongside training and employability opportunities.”
