The Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal, which will benefit Renfrewshire with three major infrastructure projects, took another step forward this week with the appointment of eminent people from business, politics and academia to bodies associated with the £1.13bn City Deal.

Renfrewshire is represented by Council Leader, Mark Macmillan, who has the Portfolio for Enterprise. Councillor Macmillan will continue his work to encourage business growth; underlining his commitment to economic regeneration and creating jobs.

Lord Haughey, industrialist and philanthropist, has been appointed Chair of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Economic Leadership Board and Professor Anton Muscatelli, economist and Principal of the University of Glasgow, is Chair of the Commission on Urban Economic Growth.

Councillor Macmillan is determined to make the City Deal work for Renfrewshire, “These vital investment projects will help to grow and attract businesses, make local life better, and generate new wealth for this area. Together the City Deal projects are expected to deliver an extra 29,000 jobs for the City Region and to improve access to a further 45,000 jobs. The Enterprise Portfolio is an exciting role and it does reflect the strength of my determination to support business growth and build a bigger, stronger economy’

The Council has appointed a Project Director for the City Deal’s three major projects in Renfrewshire.

The Glasgow Airport Investment Area, on which construction will start in 2018, will benefit business growth with a £51m spend on roads, cycle lanes and a bridge. Businesses will enjoy better links with existing facilities and the improved infrastructure will open up new areas for development and further business growth.

The Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project will open a bridge over the Clyde, linking Renfrew to Yoker. With its associated new roads, the bridge will connect Renfrewshire directly with west Glasgow. This represents a £78m investment and work is planned to start in 2018.

The Deal also includes £144m to develop a rail access link between Glasgow city centre and Glasgow Airport, including a stop at Paisley Gilmour Street. This is good news for Renfrewshire, where the economic benefits of a frequent Airport connection will be substantial. Work on this project is scheduled to start in 2020.

Cllr Mark Macmillan is certain about the benefits of these projects and the wider City Deal programme. “They’re all about connectivity at local, regional and international levels. City Deal is creating a great economic resurgence in the West of Scotland and Renfrewshire is well placed to make the most of it.”

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