A NEW train station for Barrhead, a watersports park, a sliproad from the M77 – East Renfrewshire’s £44million programme of works was the first project to be approved from the Glasgow City Region Deal back in 2015.

But nearly four years on from its announcement, how is work coming along to realise the ambitious vision...and what is likely to be finished by the end of this year?

The £1.13billion Glasgow City Region Deal – one of the largest in the UK – has made significant progress in creating jobs and boosting local businesses since being agreed in 2014, according to the Scottish Government and other backers.

Under the project, the Scottish Government and UK Government has each made a commitment to provide £500m in funding.

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The eight councils that make up the Glasgow City Region Cabinet – East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire – will supplement this by borrowing £130m.

Since the deal was agreed in August 2014, a total of 27 projects have been selected across the Glasgow city region, with most underway.

Barrhead News:

In East Renfrewshire, projects completed include new commercial units developed at Crossmill Business Park, in Barrhead, and an adjacent 17-acre former factory site prepared for private sector investment.

According to East Renfrewshire Council, the construction of Greenlaw Business Centre, in Newton Mearns, is progressing well. Expected to open late summer, it will enable the local authority to increase its support for small businesses by meeting a growing demand for quality office space in the area.

The next phase of infrastructure improvements will involve the realignment of Balgraystone Road, opposite St Luke’s High School, in Barrhead.

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The aim of this will be to facilitate the development of new homes in Barrhead South and create an entrance to the planned new train station and bus interchange, which is expected to be in place by 2021.

Later in the year, work is anticipated to begin on Aurs Road – a main route between Barrhead and Newton Mearns.

This will include two sections of realignment, the replacement of a weak road bridge and the creation of a new site for country park visitor facilities.

Perhaps the most eye-catching development in the City Deal plans for East Renfrewshire is the creation of a new train station in Barrhead.

Multi-million pound proposals for the station, to the south of the town, were put forward for scrutiny to Transport Scotland more than two years ago.

However, the project’s journey since then has not been entirely smooth.

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Emails obtained by the Barrhead News last year revealed frustrations over breakdowns in the communication chain between Transport Scotland and East Renfrewshire Council.

Concerns were also raised over “potential capacity issues”at the new station.

It was stated the new station could serve up to 500,000 passengers a year but the increase in numbers on the Neilston to Glasgow line, on which the station would be added, could see hundreds more commuters forced to stand every morning as a result.

ScotRail bosses assured passengers that longer trains will be made available ahead of any new station opening.

Other major developments included in the City Deal include improvements to the road network between Barrhead, Newton Mearns and the M77 motorway, as well as the transformation of Dams to Darnley Country Park into a ‘must-visit’ leisure destination, to include a visitor centre, promenade and watersports.

East Renfrewshire Council leader Tony Buchanan said: “A range of ambitious projects are being made possible in the area, thanks to our £44million City Deal investment – improving transport links, increasing leisure opportunities and supporting business growth.

“We are committed to delivering a better future for all of our residents and these projects will play a major part in helping us to achieve this goal.

“Working closely with our appointed contractors, we have been able to deliver a number of additional benefits for our local communities as part of our City Deal contracts, such as jobs, apprenticeships and skills development activities.”