Council allocates £500,000 funding to develop historic Easterhouse landmark

Glasgow City Council's Executive Committee today (8 September) approved £500,000 funding for the development of Provanhall House, one of Glasgow's oldest buildings, as part of its delivery of the Easterhouse Town Centre Action Plan (ETCAP).

ETCAP was developed to allow a Section 75 agreement premium from the expansion of Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre to help fund the development of Easterhouse town centre.  This premium of £6million was released to the council from Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), owners of Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre, in May 2015, and this will be allocated to ETCAP.

In addition to the £6million premium, HUT has also relinquished its long-term ground lease of the Shandwick Centre in Easterhouse to the council, giving the council rental rights to the centre and ownership of a site worth several million pounds.

The £500,000 allocated by the committee's decision will support the refurbishment and expansion of Provanhall House to create a visitor centre, which will act as a gateway to the proposed Seven Lochs Wetland Park.  The remainder of the funding for the Provanhall House project will come from a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Design proposals for the Provanhall visitor centre will now be developed in detail by a team from the council.

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "This is a great day for Easterhouse town centre and the wider area.  Today's decision by the council allows the redevelopment of one of the city's oldest buildings and the creation of a fantastic visitor centre which will play a key role in the continuing regeneration of Easterhouse."  

The remainder of the £6million funding from the Section 75 premium will be allocated to projects in Easterhouse town centre, and will considered by the council's Executive Committee in the future.  These projects, to be developed after consultation with partners and local stakeholders, are likely to include the refurbishment of the Shandwick Centre, improvements in the area's public realm and improved connections to and from the town centre for local residents.