Former Ravenscraig steelworks transformation plan given £66m boost

Sports facilities have been built on part of the former steelworks

A multi-million pound boost for plans to redevelop the former Ravenscraig steelworks site in North Lanarkshire has been agreed.

Funding of £66m from the Glasgow Region City Deal will be used for a massive road development.

Much of the site - which is bigger than Monaco - has already been developed, but a significant part is derelict.

The site owners also want to create thousands of new homes and five primary schools.

Part of the wider plans to improve the area's infrastructure 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.

Back the move

The council has already agreed an extra £30m to be spent building new roads in the area and upgrading existing ones.

The City Deal money will be used to finance the remainder of the plans.

The eight regional council leaders who will benefit from the plans met on Tuesday to discuss moving the additional funds from existing North Lanarkshire projects into the Ravenscraig steelworks site project.

Because the City Deal funding is for projects covering the wider Glasgow City region, other local councils had to back the move.

Not all of the ambitious plans for the site have been realised

Councillor Paul Kelly, deputy leader of North Lanarkshire Council, said the Ravencraig regeneration was of "major strategic and economic importance".

He said a Lanarkshire roads project, which will cost more than £200m, would be "the biggest single roads and infrastructure investment in North Lanarkshire's history".

He added that it would bring "significant" jobs and investment. He said it would bring 6,500 jobs and generate £360m for the local economy.

He continued: "It's vital that we focus on those projects that offer the best return on investment for our communities, our economy and for the future of North Lanarkshire."

What's the plan for Ravenscraig's future?

Much of the Ravenscraig site has already been redeveloped - it includes a massive sports facility and a college. But a significant part is still derelict.

Ravenscraig is one of Europe's largest brownfield regeneration sites and accounts for about an eighth of the Glasgow City Region's vacant and derelict land.

Ravenscraig Ltd, who own the site, have a masterplan that will be considered by North Lanarkshire 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 7 hectare town park

The £1.13bn Glasgow City Region City Deal is an agreement between the UK government, Scottish government and eight local authorities across Glasgow and the Clyde Valley.

The money is being used to fund major infrastructure projects and to boost employment. Other aims include improving public transport and connectivity and generating billions of pounds of private sector investment.

The Scottish and UK governments, who have committed more than £500m each to the deal, welcomed the news.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said the UK government had "an ambitious goal of creating jobs and opportunities and stimulating long-lasting growth for local communities".

He added: "This project has the potential to transform Ravenscraig and will help to attract significant private sector investment to bring new homes and businesses to the site."

Michael Matheson, the Scottish government's infrastructure secretary, said: "I am pleased to see North Lanarkshire Council and the wider Glasgow City Region continue to drive this deal forward and work together in the best interests of the regional economy."