Glasgow City Deal spending to rocket in next five years
GLASGOW’S City Deal is set to spend almost three quarters of a billion pounds in the next five years.
Projects already started will move forward as the bulk of the £1.1billion deal cash is spent.
The projects include the new bridge over the M8 connecting Sighthill and a new park in the area, an anti-flooding Smart Canal project at the Forth and Clyde Canal and work on the new manufacturing institute near Glasgow Airport are among the projects designed to improve communities and provide better access to jobs.
So far 16 projects have been completed by the eight City Deal member councils with more than £180million spent.
Over the next five years the plans include more than 7700 new homes built, 400 hectares of land redeveloped and more than 80 hectares of vacant land brought back into use. Susan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “We are now delivering projects at pace and for place and our people. Communities are beginning to see the delivery of the Deal’s promise and that it is having a clear transformational effect. “We look forward to the next five years where we can really build on the potential of the City Deal.”
The partnership was the first in Scotland to benefit from City Deal funding from both the UK and Scottish Governments, with £500m provided from each for infrastructure investment and the local authorities contributing a further £130m.
The £1.13bn infrastructure fund will deliver 21 projects focusing on improving connectivity and unlocking new sites across the region for commercial, housing and retail development.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The Glasgow City Region Deal has made great progress since 2014 with projects which are helping to create thousands of jobs, homes and opportunities that will improve people’s lives.”