South Lanarkshire is set to receive a £14.6million cash boost from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund to ‘improve’ local lives.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove announced today that Shawfield will be one of the six major regeneration and transport projects across Scotland to receive a slice of almost £122 million from the third round of the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund.

Approximately £14.6 million will regenerate the Shawfield National Business District to prepare the site for future development, as well as the nearby Polmadie Burn so the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District Campus can be relocated there in the hope of boosting employment and education for the community.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “Levelling Up means delivering local people's priorities and bringing transformational change in communities that have, for too long, been overlooked and undervalued.

“Today we are backing 55 projects across the UK with £1 billion to create new jobs and opportunities, power economic growth, and revitalise local areas.

“This funding sits alongside our wider initiatives to spread growth, through devolving more money and power out of Westminster to towns and cities, putting in place bespoke interventions to places that need it most, and our long-term plan for towns.”

These new investments build on the £343 million already awarded to Scotland in previous funding rounds, bringing Scotland’s total Levelling Up Fund to £465 million.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: "It's fantastic news that these six locally developed projects in north, central and southern Scotland have been given the go-ahead.

“Sharing £122 million UK Government funding, they will transform communities through improvements such as better, greener transport infrastructure and connectivity, regeneration of buildings and land and creation of education, business and employment opportunities.

"Our levelling up commitment to communities across Scotland so far stands at almost £2.7 billion. We are focussed on working with local partners to deliver the change that the country needs to put the UK on the right path for the future."

MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West Michael Shanks added: "Glad to hear of £14.6m investment approved from the UK Government towards the remediation and development of Shawfield in Rutherglen.

"Huge thanks to the talented people who put together the bid from South Lanarkshire Council and Clyde Gateway. Exciting opportunities ahead for this area."

This comes after an investment of £3,350,000 was announced for Shawfield’s Green Regeneration Innovation District (GRID) Campus in Rutherglen through the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund earlier this year.

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