The City Deal will bring millions in investments and provide a two-way street of benefits and expansion for Glasgow’s neighbouring towns, writes Ken Mann

The economic junction between the towns and cities of the future will provide their populations with a two-way street powerhouse of opportunity.

The globally recognised "city region" concept may not be new but the bespoke UK City Deal blueprint, designed to harness and accelerate the development fortunes of big conurbations by fostering step-change growth through major enabling infrastructure projects, will see Glasgow and seven other surrounding local authority areas engage in the UK’s largest economic development programme of its type over a period of two decades.

It carries a £1.13 billion overall estimated public sector input value, split £500 million each between the UK and Scottish Governments with another £130 million borrowed by the participating local authorities.

Intensifying support to key sectors such as life sciences and addressing challenges in the region’s labour market is central to the ethos. Scotland’s largest city and principal towns in the immediate west central area seem set for a joined-up growth journey on an unprecedented scale.

Unlocking £3.3 billion of private sector investment along the way, creating 15,000 jobs in the construction phase – and 28,000 permanent new jobs once complete – the potential is certainly jaw-dropping.

But away from the headline grabbing financials, impressive statistical forecasts and rhetoric, what does it mean in practical deliverables and how does it balance the economic and social elements of city and town – two typically disparate types of community? First off, it gives the people of each community more decision-making power. A "cabinet" has been formed of senior officials at each of the public sector partners, able to draw on specific advisory services as the plan progresses. The latter includes Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and renowned further and higher education institutions.

In snapshot, Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal represents:

  •  Eight local authorities.
  •  A combined population of 1.8 million or 34 per cent of the Scottish total.
  •  World-class educational, recreational and business facilities.

 A notable 40 per cent of jobs in key sectors such as Finance, Aerospace, Defence and Marine and is a base for 35 per cent of all Scottish jobs.

For towns such as Barrhead in East Renfrewshire and Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire, the pace of regeneration will be propelled significantly faster; there is genuinely much to be excited about from the partnership leverage gained from joining with a city that is already a wealth creator.

Leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Frank McAveety, insists that integral elements of the co-ordinating partnership ensure balance for all communities. "Glasgow City Region is critical to the UK economy; it is the heart of the economy of Scotland," he says.

"The Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal was developed jointly by officers from the eight participating local authorities. It is expected to give the region a permanent uplift in its GVA [gross value add – the value of goods and services produced in an area] to £2.2 billion per annum [4.4 per cent].

"It will benefit the whole region and the business plans being developed for individual projects are designed to ensure that is the case. They are overseen by the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Cabinet, which consists of the leaders of all eight local authorities.

"It reinforces the Glasgow city region’s position as the economic heart of Scotland and its critical importance to the UK economy. It will deliver tens of thousands of jobs. It will cement Glasgow and the city region’s economic status and allow us to attract inward investment on a huge scale.

"The whole point of the City Deal is that it will benefit all parts of the city region. The vast majority of the people who work in the city region also live here."

A strong city region requires, by its nature, the city element of the partnership to benefit on the two key measures of economy and society. Accessibility, promoting easy movement of people and literally tearing down constraining factors are at its heart here too.

The city’s Sighthill area is an example. Only part-funded by City Deal, with that component of its funding still to be fully ratified by the City Deal Cabinet in December, its overall £220 million regeneration will embrace the largest of the city’s eight Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs).

Fundamental infrastructure works will include large-scale land remediation and engineering activity, creating land attractive to prospective developers.