More than 6,500 jobs will be created and around £360million per year will be generated for the local economy after the Glasgow City Region councils approved revised plans for the Ravenscraig Infrastructure Access (RIA) project. (First published April 2019)
Improved transport connectivity and road infrastructure at Ravenscraig and the surrounding area moved a step closer after North Lanarkshire Council approved an extra £29.7million of investment and the Glasgow City Region cabinet allowed City Deal funding to be reprioritised for the project.
City Deal funding will now be focussed on the RIA project as part of the wider Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Corridor which will see new and upgraded roads from the M74 at Motherwell, through Ravenscraig to the M8 at Eurocentral, and onward past Airdrie on a new link road to the A73 south of Cumbernauld.
Ravenscraig Ltd’s new masterplan will be considered by the council in the coming weeks. It includes plans for:
- 3,000 houses
- 19,000m2 of office space
- 63,000m2 of industrial space
- 30,000m2 of retail space
- Five primary schools and associated nursery provision
- Extension to the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility
- New seven hectare town park
At 455 hectares, Ravenscraig is one of Europe’s largest brownfield regeneration sites and accounts for 13% of the Glasgow City Region’s vacant and derelict land.
The council’s decision to prioritise the City Deal projects that will deliver the maximum economic benefit to the community and wider area means realigning resources within the other City Deal projects in North Lanarkshire.
Six of the planned sub-projects will now be taken forward, where required, through other council and partner infrastructure programmes: Holytown Link Road, A80 Link Road, Cardowan to Lochend Link Road, Gartsherrie Link Road, Gartcosh Station Park and Ride, and the M80 Corridor Park and Ride.