Clyde regeneration scheme could create '˜12,400 jobs'

Ambitious plans to regenerate the Clydeside area between Glasgow and Renfrew have taken a step forward with the submission of two separate planning applications.

5Plus Architects have devised proposals for 1,690 waterfront homes

An 184m-long swing bridge connecting the north and south banks of the river at Yoker will open up 83 hectares of vacant and derelict sites earmarked for 27,480sq/m of industrial space; 10,000sq/m of retail; 1,690 homes; 2,800sq/m of office space and 2 hectares of public space.

The £90.7m project will be financed as part of the Glasgow City Deal.

Another new bridge, crossing the White Cart Water, will be built as part of the Glasgow Airport Investment Area which will establish a new business park offering in excess of 200,000sq/m of office space, 100,000sq/m of industrial space and 250 homes.

An 184m-long bridge will link Renfrew and Yoker as part of the City Deal-backed plan

Renfrewshire Council said the work would “regenerate the Clyde waterfront as an attractive riverside and urban area that supports existing communities and promotes new residential, industrial, commercial, business and leisure opportunities.

In a statement, the council added: “With the construction of a new ‘opening’ bridge across the River Clyde, which will accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, and the construction of the Renfrew North Development Road, the project will better link communities and businesses on both sides of the river.”

Bob Grant, chief executive of Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, said the two projects will bring around 12,400 jobs and business benefits to the local area.

If the applications are succesful, bridge work is due to begin in 2018 with a completion date of 2020.

An 184m-long bridge will link Renfrew and Yoker as part of the City Deal-backed plan

The former county town of Renfrew, on the south bank, has been linked with Yoker, a suburb on the edge of the city limits, by a ferry crossing for more than two centuries.

Given the two settlements’ close proximity to several major shipyards, as well as the Clyde Tunnel, it was previously considered uneconomic to build a bridge so far upstream.

The new crossing will be capable of opening to accommodate river traffic heading to and from the nearby BAE yards at Scotstoun and Govan.