MORE than £11million has been invested in a major upgrade of facilities at a waterfront industrial site in Inverclyde to help attract new tenants.
Work completed at Inchgreen Marine Park includes provision of new utility connections and roadways plus the purchase of extra land to make the site more usable.
Improvement works at the facility in Greenock have been taking place over the last two years as part of a formal joint venture partnership between Peel Ports Clydeport and Inverclyde Council, funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal.
Discussions are now ongoing with a range of interested parties looking to use various parts of the site.
Jim McSporran, Port Director at Peel Ports Clydeport, said: “We are hugely committed to Greenock and Inverclyde, as shown by our recent £25million purchase of new cranes and supporting infrastructure for the Port of Greenock.
“We continue to invest in the development of Inchgreen to attract the right opportunities, despite the difficult economic conditions meaning we can take nothing for granted.
“However, we are in discussions with companies across various sectors about using the marine park, and none of this interest would have been possible without our ongoing renovation of the facility.”
The marine park work included investment on a new-look entrance gate, as well as the purchase of additional acres of land next to the A8 road, disused since a fire in 2017 that destroyed a meat processing plant.
The project also included the refurbishment of the site’s platers’ shed, upgrades to quay walls, dredging to bring water levels to navigational depth, removing old structures, as well as improving lighting, electrics and internal roadways across the site.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “We recognise the importance of Inchgreen as a key industrial site and the huge opportunities for creating jobs and boosting the local economy.
“These works are designed to pave the way for further inward investment in the wider Inchgreen Marine Park and unlock the potential of this prime, waterfront site in the heart of Inverclyde right next to the River Clyde and with excellent links to the wider Glasgow City Region.
“It is the second of three Inverclyde City Deal projects to be completed following the opening of the new Greenock Ocean Terminal cruise ship visitor centre in 2023, with the Inverkip project also progressing.
“Add to these the £40million-plus of funding earmarked for Greenock Town Centre and these are exciting times to live, work, visit and do business in Inverclyde.”
The development is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal funded by the Scottish and UK governments (£8.4million) and Inverclyde Council (£1.36million). The refurbishment of the platers’ shed was funded from the Scottish Government’s Clyde Mission Fund (£1.36million).
Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for wellbeing economy, net zero and energy Màiri McAllan said: “I am delighted we are providing over £4million towards the upgrades at Inchgreen Marine Park through Glasgow City Region City Deal.
“This regeneration project can help draw business investment to Inchgreen Marine Park and revitalise a key site for Inverclyde. This is complemented by a further £1.3million we are providing to the platers’ shed project through the Clyde Mission, delivering on our commitment to support the Inverclyde economy to thrive.
“In co-operation with partners, we are building a more prosperous economy on the banks of the River Clyde to the benefit of the wider region.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said: “The UK Government and partner-funded transformation of this site into a sought-after waterside industrial facility is fantastic news for Inverclyde and Greenock.
“More than £4million of the UK Government’s £523 million investment into the Glasgow City Region Deal has been used to upgrade the quayside and build new roads so that Inchgreen Marine Park will attract industry, create jobs and help boost the economy.”
The site is next to the port group’s Inchgreen Dry Dock, which is suitable for a wide range of marine-based engineering activities, from shipbuilding to decommissioning.
