Clyde Waterfront Strategic Partnership facilitates and promotes the Clyde’s regeneration from Glasgow, via Renfrew to Dumbarton, with £3.5bn already spent or committed by the public and private sectors across more than 250 projects. Clyde Waterfront’s economy is now more diverse and robust than before, with several centres of excellence, for example:
Financial services: Glasgow’s multi award winning International Financial Services District (IFSD) has attracted more than £1bn of investment to date via global companies like AON, Barclays, BNP Paribas, eSure, HSBC, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, RBS, Santander and Tesco, creating 16,000 new jobs since 2001. New occupiers, new Grade A office openings, the Tradeston “Squiggly” bridge and exciting leisure plans for the riverside, all add fresh impetus.
Creative industries: This sector is thriving at Pacific Quay with BBC Scotland and STV firmly established in high-tech broadcasting centres and another 50 creative SMEs now occupying new or refurbished space in The Hub and Film City Glasgow. Opposite, a new 12,500 seat SECC National Arena will open in 2013, reinforcing the area as a world class entertainment and conference venue.
Shipbuilding: The 3,500 employees at BAE Systems two yards in Govan and Scotstoun are completing six £650m Type 45 Destroyers for the Royal Navy and will also be integral to the MOD’s £5bn joint contract for two 65,000 ton aircraft carriers.
Medical science: The £842m re-development of the NHS Southern General, expanding its maternity hospital and building two new hospitals, will create one of Europe’s largest medical campuses, employing thousands and able to treat 725,000 patients annually.
Leisure and tourism: When the iconic £74m Riverside Museum designed by Zaha Hadid opens Spring 2011, it will help grow tourism further complimenting the Clyde’s other attractions such as the Glasgow Science Centre, Xscape and the Titan Crane.
Retail: Clyde Waterfront has some excellent retail destinations, e.g. Braehead in Renfrewshire (20 million customer visits a year), Glasgow’s Buchanan Street (voted the UK’s best shopping street) and the St Enoch’s Centre recently had a £100m refurbishment.
Housing: Over 8,500 new homes have been built since 2003 along the Clyde at various brownfield locations like the £1.2bn Glasgow Harbour development and at Ferry Village near Braehead where six developers are building 2,000 apartments and detached homes.
Education: Our innovative online resource offers teachers 200 free lesson plans linking 12 Clyde themes with eight subjects as per Curriculum for Excellence and we reinforce this learning with “Classroom on the Clyde” school trips.
Tourism: We have produced 150,000 Heritage Guides to attract tourists and locals to visit the river and in 2010 we supported Clyde Cruises’ popular waterbus trial to compliment Seaforce’s powerboats and The Waverley Paddle Steamer.
Clyde Waterfront is making the most of its skilled workforce, cost competitive location, excellent communications and new infrastructure to develop a vibrant and thriving waterfront location that appeals to global companies and local communities alike. n
Please call +44 (0) 141 229 5420 or write to Clyde Waterfront Strategic Partnership, 4th Floor Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6HQ or visit: clydewaterfront.com/ceo