The wheel deal

Lottery cash boost for former St Martin’s

A significant step has been taken in moving forward plans to convert the old St Martin’s Church in Castlemilk in to a mountain biking hub.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given initial backing to the bid for a £ 1.05m conversion of the church on Ardencraig Road in to the Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike and Activity Centre

The fund gave its approval for the project by awarding Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and Ardenglen Housing Association a First Round pass, which also includes a grant of £178,900 to develop their proposals further.

The project, put forward by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and Ardenglen Housing Association, aim to adopt and restore the St Martin’s Church building with a view to it becoming a hub for the users of the track, providing all the facilities required to enhance the mountain bike experience.

In addition, the project will provide a visitor interpretation facility to enable better access to the park and its special natural environment.

Maureen Cope, chair of Ardenglen Housing Association said: “We are delighted that this project has achieved this milestone - a round one pass from the Heritage lottery Fund.

“We have been working in partnership with Glasgow Building Preservation Trust for the last two years to develop this exciting initiative which will complement the existing Cathkin Braes Commonwealth Games Cycle Track bringing jobs and opportunities for our local community.”

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery fund in Scotland, said: “This is an exciting project which has been driven by the enthusiasm of the local people of Castlemilk who want to see this empty historic building brought back to life. And what better way to do that than to build on the incredible success of the mountain biking at Cathkin Braes during the Commonwealth Games? This community needs a boost and the Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to help.”