Listen
£30 million for urban regeneration
26/12/2007
Three urban regeneration companies which are helping to transform some of Scotland's most deprived communities are to receive Scottish Government cash totalling £30 million.
The Scottish Government's investment in Riverside Inverclyde URC, Irvine Bay URC and Clydebank Rebuilt over the period 2008-2011 comes just weeks after the announcement of £62 million to support the Clyde Gateway project.
Stewart Maxwell, Minister for Communities and Sport, said:
"This Government is absolutely committed to the regeneration of some of our most disadvantaged communities and the money we are investing in the URCs will help make that goal a reality.
"Each of them has exciting plans for their area to bring new housing, infrastructure, jobs and leisure facilities, which will lead to the long-term revitalisation of communities that have been neglected for too long."
Riverside Inverclyde is to receive £19 million over the three years from 2008-11. Its plan will see new residential, commercial, office and retail facilities created along the Inverclyde Waterfront to increase economic activity and attract new people and businesses to the area.
Irvine Bay has been allocated up to £6 million for over the next three years, pending the completion of the URC's business plan.
Clydebank Rebuilt - which is to receive £5 million for 2008-9 - has been operating for over four years and has already been awarded £13.8 million in Government funding. Its successes include the creation of an Enterprise and Learning District at Queens Quay and the refurbishment of the Titan Crane.
Bill Nicol, Chief Executive of Riverside Inverclyde, said:
"We greatly appreciate the Scottish Government's pledge of a further £19 million of funding for Riverside Inverclyde for 2008 - 2011. This is a strong endorsement of the Scottish Government's commitment to both Riverside Inverclyde and its business plan.
"Operationally, the funding will allow the URC and partner organisations to action a significant number of key projects approved by the Board of Riverside Inverclyde, and ensure that these will soon be visible on the ground, which is great news for Inverclyde and its communities."
Patrick Wiggins, Chief Executive of Irvine Bay, said:
"This support and continued commitment from the Scottish Government will ensure that we can drive forward with our plans for the regeneration of the five towns in Irvine Bay.
"This year will see further work on the £70 million development at Irvine harbourside, new office pavilions at Annickbank, Irvine, and our future regeneration plans for each of the five towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenson, Kilwinning and Irvine."
Chair of Clydebank Re-built board, John McFall MP, said:
"We welcome the Scottish Government's confidence in Clydebank Re-built in providing a further £5 million support for the town's regeneration projects. The money will allow us to take forward our plans on the riverside and for a transport hub in the town centre over the next two years, 2008 and 2009."
There are currently six Government sponsored URCs in Scotland - the three original Pathfinders (Craigmillar, Clydebank and Raploch), established in 2004 - and three new ones (Clyde Gateway, Irvine Bay and Riverside Inverclyde), which were announced on the back of the regeneration policy statement in February 2006.
The first three URCs received a total of almost £50million in government funding for the period 2004-2008, and are now making significant progress in delivering the proposals set out within their business plans. Funding is due to come to an end in 2007-08. Of these URCs, only Clydebank Rebuilt have submitted a revised plan and requested additional funding beyond March 2008.