THE First Minister has pledged to work with council leaders in Glasgow and surrounding areas as he transferred control of a regeneration project to local authorities.
Humza Yousaf said he is “committed” to working with senior council figures from Glasgow and Clyde area to “explore all options for how the Scottish Government can work with them to boost the regional economy”.
He spoke as the Scottish Government transferred control of the Clyde Mission regeneration programme to the Glasgow City Region, as investment reached more than £40 million thanks to an additional £1.5m Holyrood funding for the project.
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Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, hailed the handing over of power on the project as being a “major step forward in the devolution of power to Scotland’s biggest city region”.
The councils in and around Glasgow make up the “only genuine metropolis in these islands north of Manchester”, she insisted.
Aitken added that there was “real transformational potential”.
The Clyde Mission was set up in 2020 and covers an area stretching from Lanarkshire, through the city of Glasgow, down to the opening of the river between Gourock and Dunoon.
It aims to bring forward the public and private sectors to transform areas, with investment for renewable energy projects, improvements for green spaces and work to find more land for development.
Yousaf said: “As Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow’s success is fundamental to our success as a nation and our drive to create a wellbeing economy that is fair, green and growing.
“When Glasgow grows, Scotland grows – and by working in partnership with a stronger city region, we will make sure we realise its economic potential.
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“We are transferring responsibility over the running of Clyde Mission from the Scottish Government to empower the city region, helping to attract new investment, create jobs and deliver prosperity and wellbeing for communities from Argyll to the Clyde Valley.”
The FM added: “I am committed to working with the leaders in Glasgow region to explore all options for how the Scottish Government can work with them to boost the regional economy – from our joint work with the UK Government on an investment zone in the city, to engaging with them directly on their aspirations to be formally recognised as a metropolitan region.
“The city region is brimming with economic potential – from life sciences to renewables, from space to tourism, the regional economy is one of great strength and diversity.
“By working in partnership with a stronger city region, we will make sure we realise that potential.”
Aitken, also chair of the Glasgow city region cabinet, said: “The handover to the eight local authorities of the responsibility to progress what remains the greatest untapped development opportunity in western Europe provides many of the levers we need to address growth, productivity and the wellbeing of the 1.8m citizens of the city region, and to tackle the ingrained social and economic inequalities within many of Scotland’s most deprived communities.
“That is real transformational potential and allows us to seize the opportunity to accelerate one of the UK’s most diverse and competitive city regions, and secure our aim of becoming its most innovative, inclusive and resilient economy by 2030.”
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