Around £1.3 billion investment (2021/21 – 2025/26) in communities has seen the scale of the place-based investment continue at pace over the last year with new community hubs, active travel routes, digital connectivity and new-build housing being developed to transform the region and support positive changes in the lives of children, young people, families and communities.

Councillor Jim Logue, Leader of the Council said, “Against a backdrop of high levels of deprivation, a cost of living crisis and the pressure of budget cuts, we have continued to deliver key projects that have led to more sustained and positive outcomes for children, communities and the local economy.”

Key achievements since March 2023 include:

• The opening of Riverbank Community Hub in Coatbridge which includes a primary school, nursery, full-size 3-G sports pitch, a forest school and growing garden as well as community facilities.
• A new active travel route for pedestrians and cyclists between Craigneuk and New College Lanarkshire’s Motherwell campus at Ravenscraig including seating, lighting and CCTV.
• The 1,000th new-build home was completed on the site of the Holehills high flats in Airdrie, which also saw the completion of 11 low-carbon homes as part of a pilot to deliver sustainable and affordable homes.
• The completion of the West Coast Mainline crossing with the rail bridge installed in April 2023 under City Deal, as well as major improvements to access the newly-refurbished Motherwell train station.
• Progressing town action plans with public consultations nearing completion in Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw, with the delivery of the town vision for Cumbernauld supported by acquiring The Centre, Cumbernauld using £9.225m from the UK Levelling Up Fund.
• 250 of the planned 340km of ultrafast, full fibre digital network has been laid with full fibre rollout expected by November 2023.
• Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge received an initial award of £148,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for consultation, feasibility studies, and research into a multi-million-pound development project that will expand and enhance the offer.
• £6.5m investment into the regenerated Braidhurst Industrial Estate in Motherwell to expand business space and create more employment opportunities.
• Plans to consult on the demolition of eight tower blocks as part of the second phase of the tower reprovisioning strategy were agreed in August 2023.
• Recent figures show that North Lanarkshire’s economy continues to improve with 5.2% growth in GVA (2021) compared to the previous year.
• The number of people economically active has increased to 72.9% in the last year and the number of people on benefits has reduced by 2.5% in the first quarter of the financial year (from April 23).

A new programme of work has commenced that aims to maintain the focus on transforming North Lanarkshire’s landscape and support positive changes in people’s lives.  By building on the successes to date, the new programme of work aims to escalate the delivery of projects and activities in a more joined up and targeted way that improves social conditions and the health and wellbeing of people living in North Lanarkshire, and that impacts positively on the regeneration of local communities and the local economy.

The Leader continued, “Taking stock of the progress already achieved over the last six months demonstrates that the council is delivering on its ambition but considerable challenges remain, particularly around child poverty, with one in four children in the area continuing to live in poverty. The new Tackling Poverty Strategy is a true commitment from the council and its partners to make a genuine impact on the lives of families who struggle with the cost of every day living

“It’s important to remember that by putting projects in place that will boost employment and improve health and wellbeing, will mean that there will be less poverty and improved health outcomes for people living in North Lanarkshire.

“These are truly significant achievements that are having real and positive outcomes and prospects for children, businesses, communities and the local economy, putting us on track to make North Lanarkshire the place, to live, learn, work, invest and visit.”