THE UK and Scottish governments have joined local leaders to mark ten years of the Glasgow City Region City Deal and reflect on what has been achieved through the £1.13 billion of funding.
One of the largest in the UK, Glasgow’s Deal has delivered a range of projects including Greenock Ocean Terminal, the bridge over the M8 at Sighthill and the Govan to Partick bridge – with the new Renfrew bridge set to open later this year.
The eight participating member authorities are East Dunbartonshire Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Renfrewshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council.
Signed in 2014, Glasgow’s Deal provides £500 million each from the UK and Scottish governments for a range of infrastructure, employability and innovation projects with the eight local councils contributing a further £130 million.
City Deal employability programmes have supported almost 14,000 people into work. The Tontine business accelerator has championed new SME start-ups in Glasgow and the Queen Elizabeth University hospital Imaging Centre of Excellence, a medical research facility, houses the first 7T MRI imagine system in a clinical setting. The Smart Canal, a first in Europe, is a new surface water drainage system helping to unlock 110 hectares across the north of Glasgow for new housing and commercial development.
All City Deal infrastructure projects are underway with 45 sub-projects now complete.
The City Deal is estimated to have attracted over £880 million worth of follow-on investment for new housing and commercial development already completed or underway at locations around City Deal projects. For example, City Deal funded remediation and work to improve connectivity at Tradeston in Glasgow has opened up an area south of the river to commercial development, with the new Barclays Campus the biggest inward investment ever in Scotland.
A further £65 million of additional external funding has also been generated from other organisations and agencies for City Deal projects.
Over £150 million of City Deal contracts have been won so far by local businesses, and 330 employment opportunities such as apprenticeships have been secured for local people and young people.
Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet which oversees the deal said, “The City Deal has been a catalyst for transformation across the Glasgow City Region in the past decade. Major infrastructure projects have not only built new homes, improved connectivity and transformed public realm, but have also created and sustained thousands of jobs and supported local businesses; while dynamic new sectors of our economy have been nurtured and grown. The City Deal continues to deliver for our citizens and communities.”
Investment minister Tom Arthur commented, “The Glasgow City Region Deal has been instrumental to unlocking millions of pounds worth of investment in Greater Glasgow. This has delivered new jobs, businesses and transport projects to build prosperity across the region. We are working closely with partners to maximise the benefits of regional working. I look forward to seeing the Deal progress with the completion of projects such as the Renfrew-Yoker Bridge which is due to open later this year.”
Secretary of state for Scotland Ian Murray stated, “Economic growth is one of the key missions of the UK Government and the thriving projects in Glasgow City Region are helping to achieve that. The way has been paved for new housing and commercial developments, investment in technology has resulted in state-of-the-art medical research facilities, and improved connectivity is removing barriers to work. It’s encouraging to see the amount of private investment generated that will continue to benefit the people of the wider Glasgow area and beyond.”
