Population 0 Lieutenancy area Lanarkshire Local time Saturday 7:13 AM | OS grid reference NS756563 Post town MOTHERWELL Dialling code 01698 | |
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Ravenscraig new town development flawed design
Ravenscraig is an area of land located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, due to become a small town. Ravenscraig was previously inhabited by steel industry workers, as it was formerly the site of Ravenscraig steelworks. Once the largest hot strip steel mill in Western Europe, the steelworks closed in 1992, and is now almost totally demolished.
Contents
- Ravenscraig new town development flawed design
- Location
- History
- Current state
- Plans
- Debates
- Ravenscraig Today
- Transport
- Advantages
- Motherwell FC
- References
Ravenscraig is now in the process of a major redevelopment by Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd, Scottish Enterprise and Tata Steel Europe.
Location
Ravenscraig is located in one of the most accessible places in Scotland, with over two-thirds of Scotland’s population within 90 minutes drive time.
Located in North Lanarkshire, Ravenscraig lies between the towns of Wishaw and Motherwell, who together house a population of over 60,000.
Ravenscraig is only some ten minutes drive from both the M74 and the M8 motorways, which lead to Glasgow and Edinburgh – Scotland's two largest cities – respectively. This allows easy access for commuters and visitors to the area.
A rail line travels directly through the site and another travels around the opposite end of the site.
History
Ravenscraig Steel Works, took its name, as well as the former settlement of the same title, from the nearby secluded cliff face called Ravenscraig. This translates as Raven's Cliff or Cliff of the Ravens. It is situated in the valley of the North Calder Water, north of the steelworks site. This is first shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map of 1859.
A major expansion of Colvilles, the largest steel manufacturer in the United Kingdom before World War II, was approved in July 1954 by the Iron and Steel Board.
In 1954 the first stages of development began in Ravenscraig turning a green field into a site for steelworks. By 1957 several coke ovens, a by-products plant, a blast furnace and an open hearth melting shop with three steelmaking furnaces were built, and by 1959 a stripmill was complete.
The closure of Ravenscraig in 1992 signaled the end of large scale steel making in Scotland, and was the cause of a loss of 770 jobs, with another 10,000 job losses directly and indirectly linked to the closure.
Current state
In its current state, Ravenscraig is one of the largest derelict sites in Europe measuring over 1,125 acres (4.55 km2) in size, an area equivalent to 700 football pitches or twice the size of Monaco. The main spine of the new road network has been constructed and there are facilities onsite to help decontaminate the River Calder which suffered during the years Ravenscraig was in operation. There are also plantations designed to encourage diversity in the site wildlife.
Plans
After many years of planning, Ravenscraig will be 'regenerated' and rebuilt by three equal shareholders: Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd, Scottish Enterprise and Corus. The project will be one of the largest regenerations in Europe, with 400 acres (1.6 km2) being developed.
Ravenscraig will be home to several new facilities:
Part of the development will be to create new habitats for the wildlife already living in the area, such as deer, foxes, hares, otters, badgers, watervoles, butterflies and birds such as the wader, song thrush and the little ringed plover, with an Ecological Clerk of Works appointed to 'ensure compliance with Ravenscraig Ltd.’s aims and objectives by all developers and contractors.'
The new £29million sports complex (completed October 2010) will be used as training camps for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The complex was also the host facility for the 2011 International Children's Games.
Debates
The plans for the regeneration generated a certain amount of controversy; local residents and businesses were worried about the proposed shopping facilities. It is feared that new shopping facilities in the town centre will destroy jobs and nearby businesses and town centres (e.g. Motherwell and Wishaw) will suffer. Nearby shopping centres such as Motherwell Shopping Centre, the Regent Shopping Centre in Hamilton and East Kilbride Shopping Centre have complained that new shopping facilities may take away their regular customers, a statement that North Lanarkshire Council leader Jim McCabe disputes.
Ravenscraig Today
The first major development, the new Motherwell College, has been completed, and has been formally opened. The building will attract in excess of 20,000 students. The new regional sports facility has also been completed and opened on 4 October 2010.
The final part of phase one, which is construction of houses to the north of the new town, is well underway. The housing development of Phoenix Park will eventually hold 850 new homes, some of which have been completed.
Also, another important step towards full completion of the project has been met, with funding being approved for the second phase. Phase two of the construction, which includes shopping facilities, is planned to start around mid-2012.
A new dual carriageway, that would link the new town with the M8 and M74 motorways, has been given approval, with an extra 10 million to bring the project forward agreed on June 2012. The new carriageway would also travel through neighboring North Lanarkshire settlements, Motherwell and Carfin.
On September 2012, the first building of a new BRE Innovation Park was opened, with the visitor centre building officially completed. Five more buildings will be completed during 2012, with a total of 10 buildings expected to be built in the park.
On 14 November 2012, plans were also un-veiled to build a new Marston's pub-restaurant directly to the north-east of the Sports Facility. Despite favorable first impressions, the proposal has yet to receive planning permission.
Transport
As part of the regeneration, the transport links to Ravenscraig will be greatly improved. There will be a new transport interchange within walking distance of the new town centre offering bus services to Glasgow and Lanark. There will be easy access to public transport throughout the site including dedicated business routes. There will also be a new railway station built that will link to the broader public transport network. The Argyle Line travels through the area, so trains could easily travel to major Scottish railway stations such as Glasgow Central from Ravenscraig.
There will also be a new road network, as well as a new dual carriageway, which will connect to the M8 and M74, Scotland's busiest motorways, potentially leading to reduced traffic flow and easier access to Ravenscraig and neighbouring towns such as Motherwell and Wishaw. Local politicians want the area well signposted due to the many benefits the town will bring to the wider area, stretching from Glasgow to Edinburgh to as far as the northern parts of England.
In future, the Greenlink Cycle Path may be extended to connect Ravenscraig with a direct route to Strathclyde Country Park.
Advantages
Some benefits of note that may well attract people from a wider area will include the following:
Motherwell FC
The local Scottish Premier League football team, Motherwell Football Club is one of the possible purchasers of the site for a new stadium, leaving behind their home of 113 years, Fir Park. Mark McGhee, then-manager of the club, had said that he and the directors have held tentative discussions with North Lanarkshire Council about building the new stadium on the site. Despite the fact there have been stronger indications that the move may be in progress of becoming a reality, a move to Ravenscraig in the short-term would be impossible.