Clyde Waterfront – a river reborn

With £5.6bn public and private investment planned over the next 25 years, Clyde Waterfront facilitates and promotes the regeneration of 13 miles of the Clyde from Glasgow to Dumbarton. Clyde Waterfront is a strategic partnership comprising the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, and Glasgow City, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire councils, that works closely with the private sector and has the potential to deliver 50,000 new jobs, 24,000 new homes and 900,00 sq m of new commercial space.

Clyde Waterfront is sub divided geographically into six key character areas and within these areas are several centres of commercial excellence, for example:-

Scotland’s financial services have been enhanced by the development of Glasgow’s award winning International Financial Services District, IFSD. With £1bn invested to date the IFSD has attracted companies like JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Resolution, National Australia Group, AXA, Norwich Union, Direct Line, esure and First Data and creating 16,000 new jobs since 2001.

The digital sector is thriving at Pacific Quay’s Digital Media Quarter with BBC Scotland’s £130m award winning broadcasting centre and SMG’s new broadcasting centre, linked to the city centre and motorway by the Clyde Arc bridge, opened in 2006. Medius, providing 10,000 sq ft of high tech facilities is ready for business and the Hub, providing 50 units for digital media SMEs, is due for completion in 2009.

Shipbuilding still thrives on the Clyde with BVT’s 2 yards employing more than 3,000 people to build £650m Type 45 Destroyers for the Royal Navy and as part of a joint venture the MoD order for 2 giant 65,000 tonne aircraft carriers, over the next 6-8 years.

Medical science, long associated with Glasgow’s academic and research institutions will be boosted by one of the biggest projects in the area, with the £850m re-development of the Southern General Hospital, expanding the maternity hospital and two new hospitals to provide 1,700 beds and treat 725,000 patients a year.

Tourism and leisure are an integral part of the 21st century economy supporting thousands of jobs. They also play a significant role in the renaissance of the Clyde.

The new futuristic looking £74m Riverside Museum will be a major attraction as will the proposed 12,500 seat National Area next to the SECC, whilst the Glasgow Science Centre, Braehead, Xscape and the Titan Crane have all become popular visitor attractions since opening recently.

Major hotel developments are also planned, for example the recently announced five star deluxe Jumeriah close to the IFSD. The river itself is the runway for Loch Lomond Seaplanes, innovative west of Scotland services and the Glasgow River Festival, with a host of water based activities, has become a leading event in Scotland’s calendar.

Clyde Waterfront boasts some of the best retail destinations in the UK. Braehead’s award winning retail & leisure centre has over 100 stores, attracting 20 million customers a year. Glasgow’s Buchanan Street has been voted the best shopping street in Britain and nearby the St Enoch’s Centre is undergoing a £100m refurbishment.

Providing new homes and attractive environments are integral to Clyde Waterfront’s plans. Glasgow Harbour’s £1.2bn riverside apartments and leisure developments epitomise waterfront living and the new Ferry Village near Braehead, involving five developers, is creating 2,000 homes beside the new seven acre Clyde View park.

Clyde Waterfront recently developed an innovative education resource offering teachers 200 lesson plans linking the Clyde with the Scottish curriculum, to ensure that young people have the qualifications, skills and confidence to access the opportunities. Additionally “Classroom on the Clyde” subsidised school trips on Clyde Marine’s MV Kenilworth will start from May 2009.

The regeneration of Clyde Waterfront is making the most of its skilled workforce, excellent communications and new infrastructure to develop an international waterfront location, fit for the commercial and consumer lifestyle needs of the 21st century.

Contact details
For more information on Clyde Waterfront please visit either (www.clydewaterfront.com) or www.clydewaterfronteducation.com. Other relevant websites include International Financial Services District at www.ifsdglasgow.co.uk), and the Digital Media Quarter at (www.pacificquaydmg.com)