THE historic Graving Docks at Govan on the River Clyde are poised to be revived with a £500,000 restoration project.
Govan Drydock Ltd, the company leading the project, has declared the investment will restore the Glasgow drydock as a fully operational ship repair and maintenance facility by the end of the year, adding that the move would bring jobs to the area and boost efforts to revitalise the Clyde waterfront.
The Graving Docks, which are located around two and a half miles from the city centre on the south banks of the river, were built in the late 19th century by the Clyde Navigation Trust. At the time, the docks could accommodate some of the largest ships in the world, and were extensively used for winter overhauls, repairs and refits of Clyde steamers until their closure in 1987. Since then the docks have lain derelict.
In a statement, Govan Drydock noted that feasibility studies have taken place and that the company has secured a licence to operate Govan Graving Dock number one, allowing it to bring the facility back to life for use by historic and commercial ships.
Peter Breslin, managing director of Govan Drydock Ltd, said: “We are committed to retaining the heritage and preserving the history of Govan Graving Dock. I am honoured to be returning this historic drydock back to active service and look forward to progressing with the restoration programme over the next six months.
“The facility will breathe life into the Govan area of Glasgow, bring employment opportunities and will become a much-needed facility for historic and commercial ships and ship owners for many years to come.”
Iain Sim, Chairman of Friends of TS Queen Mary, said: “The trustees are very pleased to note that Govan Dry Dock will be available to Glasgow's historic ships and we wish the team well with the restoration programme to reopen this historic dock.
“Following the recent announcement of the intention to return the TS Queen Mary to active service, we have been exploring options for the restoration of the ship. We look forward to discussing the next phases of the TS Queen Mary restoration project with the Govan Drydock team.”
Martin Sealeaf, chief executive of The SeaKing Group, said: “With first-hand experience working with Peter, I am looking forward to staying updated with such a meaningful project.
"Peter's attention to detail and experience within the maritime industry will ensure that the restoration of the historic dock will add value at a social-economic level and provide the docks' long-term future for commercial use. The SeaKing Group will be actively supporting the project technically and commercially in the coming months.”
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