ONE of the major Glasgow City Region deal projects is set to go ahead after being awarded initial funding which it is hoped will spark the creation of almost 4000 jobs in the city.
The University of Glasgow is planning a new waterfront campus on the Clyde and Glasgow City Council announced yesterday that it has signed off on up to £1 million of Glasgow City Region Deal funding to go towards the development.
Plans for the campus were unveiled by the university last month. The project is expected to cost around £80m to complete.
Like other city region deals in Scotland, the Glasgow deal was agreed between the UK Government, Scottish Government and local authorities in order to support sustainable economic growth and jobs through long-term investment in local projects.
The Glasgow City Region Deal is one of the largest in the UK, with the UK and Scottish governments each contributing around £500m.
Building a new university campus is part of a strategy to invest in areas around the Clyde and to increase innovation. It is expected that by the end of the waterfront investment plans, almost 4000 new jobs will have been created, along with 184,000 square metres of new commercial floor space.
Vacant and derelict land in Govan has been earmarked as the location for the new campus. The funding approved by the council is expected to support design, site investigations and technical studies.
The first stage of the campus will feature an enhanced James Watt Nanofabrication Centre and a Precision Medicine Living Laboratory. A technology accelerator will be established with a flexible space where companies can co-locate, carry out collaborative research and develop innovative products.
The university has also made a bid for £25m of UK Government for Strength In Places funding and has identified in-principle funding support of £10m from the Glasgow City Region City Deal.
Other projects funded by the Glasgow City Region City Deal within the Clyde Waterfront Innovation Quarter include the Govan to Partick Bridge, a new public realm in central Govan, and the redevelopment of both Govan Old Church and Water Row.
Council leader Susan Aitken said: “The Clyde Waterfront Innovation Quarter will bring thousands of jobs to communities on the banks of the river, and the innovation campus will help to unlock the enormous potential of these sites in Govan.
“The city deal funding the council has now approved will help deliver a facility that will further enhance Glasgow’s reputation as a leading city in technology and innovation, attract investment and deliver inclusive economic growth.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here