PLANS to spend over £100 million on major projects for Glasgow’s Waterfront and west end have been released, with work to begin within 18 months.

The schemes include a further pedestrian bridge over the Clyde, close to the site of the Transport Museum, an overhaul of the centre of Govan to exploit its proximity to the new "super hospital" and direct links between the district and the Glasgow University area.

It is hoped the finished projects will complete the works along Glasgow’s Clydeside, some 30 years after they became a development priority.

The projects are bankrolled by the pioneering City Deal, which saw both the Scottish and Westminster governments commit to over £1 billion for the Glasgow metropolitan area over the next two decades to boost economic activity.

The Herald:

The budget for the raft of work is £114m, with over one-quarter of the cash going into Glasgow via the deal.

The current economic forecast by local councils of the return for the City Deal investment will deliver is an increased GVA for the economy of Clyde Valley area of £264 million a year by the mid-to-late 2030s.

But two years after the deal was signed by both governments and eight local authorities, question marks persist over the pace and deliverability of the vision.

One source said the councils were still “largely at the shopping list or nice ideas stage where nice drawings are a bigger factor than economic analysis”.

Westminster and Holyrood can veto plans if their viability does not stack up.

As well as a new bridge connecting Govan, at Water Row, and Partick, the plans unveiled include a new pedestrian cycle path between the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus, Govan, Pacific Quay and the city centre and a new route connecting Glasgow University and the west end with Govan.

One vital part of the work will be to strengthen quay walls along the Clyde, an issue which has in the past deterred developers. The cost of the Transport Museum soared by £30m due to weak quay walls.

Cash will also be spent on unlocking long-term vacant sites along with river for housing and businesses and “to tackle multiple deprivation, particularly in Govan”.

Meanwhile, it is hoped the projects can exploit opportunities for life sciences clusters created by better connections between the new hospital and Glasgow University.

The university itself will benefit from plans to enhance the area around Byres Road, including around the Kelvinhall subway station.

Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety said: “Improving the connections between key sites will help transform the economy of the city. In addition, unlocking sites close to the waterfront for development opportunities will bring a tremendous boost in terms of new jobs and economic investment.”

Susan Aitken, leader of the city’s SNP group, said: “We would like to see more detailed thinking about the kinds of jobs and industries the City Deal is planning for. Are the current plans the right ones to ensure that we keep growing Glasgow’s economy in a way that brings real economic benefits to the communities who need it most?

“Too often in the past, big infrastructure and regeneration spending has happened in Glasgow, only to be almost immediately revealed as outdated and misguided.”

Adam Tomkins, Scottish Conservative communities spokesman and Glasgow MSP, said: “The infrastructure projects outlined by Glasgow City Council are exciting and have great potential.

“But we will be anxious to ensure that they are not merely ends in themselves, but means to the greater ends of job creation and economic stimulus throughout the Greater Glasgow region.”