A “significant milestone” has been reached in long-term efforts to regenerate one of Scotland’s most famous industrial areas.
Planning permission has been granted for a £10 million investment in a new employment hub at Ravenscraig, which was formerly home to one of the country’s biggest steel works until its closure in 1992.
The new hub, which is being developed by Fusion Assets, will include a mix of industrial buildings for small and larger businesses spanning a total of 62,000 square feet, with space for office, industrial, distribution, and storage activity.
Three standalone buildings will accommodate larger businesses while a fourth structure will be divided into seven units for smaller enterprises.
Developers noted that the six-acre site is “strategically located” opposite the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility and is part of SevenFourEight, a new production and logistics hub at the heart of Ravenscraig.
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The project follows the sale of land by Ravenscraig Limited - a joint venture between Barratt Developments, Tata Steel, and Scottish Enterprise to regenerate 1,200 acres of brownfield space at the former industrial site - to Fusion Assets last year.
Since then, enabling works have been completed with funding from the Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land programme, including earthworks and drainage infrastructure to prepare the site for construction.
SevenFourEight, allocated for employment uses within the Ravenscraig masterplan, is understood to be rapidly becoming a key industrial location. The completion of a £4.5m spine road last year by Ravenscraig Limited has unlocked access to over one million square feet of business and industrial space.
Russell Wilkie, director at Ravenscraig Limited, said: “As one of Europe’s largest regeneration initiatives, Ravenscraig is evolving into a self-sufficient community with housing, education, transport, and employment opportunities. SevenFourEight is a crucial piece in this puzzle, set to become one of Scotland’s best-connected industrial hubs, with ideal access to both the M74 and M8 motorways.
“This project, led by Fusion Assets is a significant step forward in turning our vision for Ravenscraig into a reality, bringing high-quality employment opportunities and investment into the area.”
Murray Collins, managing director of Fusion Assets, added: “Planning approval for our new development at Ravenscraig represents a significant milestone in the transformation of this part of the Ravenscraig site into a major new business location that will bring jobs to the local area. I’m sure we will see further development on the site as a result of Fusion Assets' initial investment in plot one.
“Fusion Assets is grateful to the Scottish Government and the council for their continued support of its regeneration activities to address the legacy of vacant and derelict land across North Lanarkshire.”
A revised Ravenscraig masterplan, approved in 2020, is focused on achieving “sustainable and inclusive growth as a mixed-use site”, supporting a “self-sufficient community”. Planning applications have been lodged for additional new-build affordable housing, neighbourhood retail opportunities, and transport infrastructure at the site.
Last month, it was announced that proposals to provide more than 2,000 homes over 200 acres of land at the site have been submitted to North Lanarkshire Council. The plans cover an area known as Meadowhead, which is adjacent to the new urban park, The Craig, and Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, as well as a section of land next to New College Lanarkshire Motherwell Campus, known as Plots TC1-TC3.
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