Feature
Sighthill Bridge over the M8
Our 2020 vision L
ast year we celebrated the first five years of our £1 billion UK and Scottish Government-funded Glasgow City Region City Deal. Already much has been achieved, including 16 completed projects across the city, but what are our plans for 2020 and what will the
next five years bring? Firstly, we plan to accelerate the delivery of projects where possible, to deliver economic benefits sooner. In fact, by 2024, we expect contracts to be let and construction completed for the majority of infrastructure projects. This presents an enormous opportunity for local businesses
in terms of contracts since anticipated spend on infrastructure over the next five years is expected to be more than £700 million – four times what we have spent to date. The benefit so far from the UK and Scottish Government City Deal investment is already evident through the upcoming Barclays Hub, our emerging Innovation Districts and extensive house building developments delivered to date. The next five years will see more than 7,700 new homes built and around 500 hectares of land brought back into use. Our focus will move from the delivery of projects to maximising the extensive private sector follow-on investment from new roads built and remediated land. In fact, we expect more than 400,000 square metres of commercial, industrial and residential floor space outcomes to be realised through projected follow-on investment. So, there is an enormous opportunity for developers and investors. 2020 is set to be a momentous year for Glasgow and the wider region. With COP26 on the horizon, the benefit to the hospitality sector alone is expected to be more than £70 million and the unprecedented international exposure will promote the city to a wider global audience. COP26 will also provide a platform to accelerate our efforts to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth. Proposals for a Glasgow metro continue to progress. This is being seen as a sustainable transport solution which would greatly improve connectivity, access to jobs and build on our potential as a global city region. We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on the Connectivity Commission’s recommendations and complete feasibility work required to ensure it can be considered as a key national project. The new Clyde Mission initiative will boost the role of the river in the region’s future economic success and draw further investment to key sites along the spine of the river, including the numerous City Deal-funded remediation projects. The £18 million contract for the new ‘street in the sky’
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www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
Kevin Rush, Director of Regional Economic Growth, Glasgow City Region
Accelerating growth, ambition and opportunity are the key aims for the Glasgow City Region, says Kevin Rush, Director of Regional Economic Growth, Glasgow City Region
pedestrian and cycle bridge over the M8 connecting Sighthill to the city centre has been awarded, with work kicking off soon. At Ocean Terminal in Greenock, we anticipate completion of the Marine Works and the floating of the new pontoon. Construction is also set to start on the Clyde Waterfront and
Renfrew Riverside project. The first Smart Canal in Europe will complete soon, unlocking 110 hectares in north Glasgow for investment and housing. This year we will refresh our Regional Economic Strategy.
And we will continue to work closely with the Government to grow the City Region economy and to create better life opportunities for our residents, accelerate our ambitions for business and position ourselves to most effectively compete with other city regions.
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