20 December 2007
New Milestone for Glasgow Airport Rail Link as community sports pavilion gets go-ahead
A new community sports pavilion to be built on playing fields crucial to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) has got the go-ahead after Renfrewshire Council gave plans the green light.
Existing changing rooms at St James playing fields – across which a viaduct will be built as part of plans for GARL – will be knocked down to make way for the new link.
These will be replaced with a new state-of-the-art pavilion for 40 teams, meaning all 20 pitches on the redeveloped site can be used.
SPT chair Alistair Watson said: "This is yet another important step in the construction of the rail link. Along with the preparatory work that is currently being carried out, we are getting closer and closer to realising this crucial link between Glasgow city centre and its airport.”
Renfrewshire Council Leader Derek Mackay said: "In addition to the transport and economic benefits of the rail link, we've always placed a high importance on taking the opportunity of development to upgrade sporting facilities. This is another important stage in preserving and improving the area's sporting heritage and ensuring that playing fields and changing facilities are fully modernised at their existing location at St James."
After the St James viaduct is completed, 20 pitches will be available at St James playing fields. Two further pitches will be provided at Ferguslie Park. All pitches will meet league standards and a modern drainage system will be provided for the area immediately east of the proposed viaduct crossing St James playing fields.
The news comes as preparations to build the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) gather pace.
A £1.3m ground investigations contract has been awarded by SPT to the UK's leading ground investigation contractor Soil Mechanics last month.
The contract, put out to tender in September, will see the West Lothian-headquartered firm carry out detailed investigations of ground conditions along the line of route of the planned two-kilometre stretch of new track which will run from near Paisley St James station to Glasgow Airport, the so-called St James Spur. Work started in November.
Preparatory work on a key section of the GARL route started back in 1 July. Network Rail installed portal frames for the overhead line electrification along a stretch of track between Shields Junction (near Kinning Park in Glasgow) and Arkleston Junction (near Hillington Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Paisley).
Work continues on the 11 temporary football pitches and changing facilities being provided at seven locations across Renfrewshire during construction of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link. The pitches and new changing facilities are being provided to give local footballers alternative places to play football when work starts on the planned viaduct which will bisect St James playing fields in Paisley.
The eleven pitches are located at:
- Two at Thomas Shanks, off Quarrelton Road, Johnstone;
- One at Glenpatrick, off Glenpatrick Road, Elderslie;
- One at Morar Drive, off Cardell Road, Paisley;
- One at Durrockstock, off Durrockstock Road, Foxbar, Paisley;
- Two at Lochfield Marshes, off Rowan Street, Paisley;
- Two at Ralston, off Allanton Avenue, Paisley;
- Two at Ferguslie, off Ferguslie Park Avenue, Paisley.
These two pitches will be permanent replacements for the two (out of 22) pitches that will be unavailable once the St James Spur is constructed across St James Playing Fields.
Glasgow Airport Rail Link is funded by Transport Scotland with financial support also from SPT, BAA and the European Union, through the Trans-European Transport Network budget.
The Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill was granted Royal Assent by the Queen in January 2007. The link will upgrade 9km (5.4 miles) of existing track between Shields Junction and Paisley Gilmour Street station and lay 1.9km (1.2miles) of new track between Paisley St James station and Glasgow Airport.
The new track will cross St James Park via a new viaduct, and the M8. A new platform will also be built in Central Station and new track laid at the Elderslie sidings.
The new rail link will provide a dedicated train service every 15 minutes between Glasgow Central Station and a new station at Glasgow Airport. Trains will stop once at Paisley Gilmour Street and the journey time will be 16 minutes.
The Department for Transport estimates that passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport are predicted to almost double, from 8.2 million a year in 2003, to over 15 million passengers a year in 2030. Airport owner BAA Scotland’s latest forecasts are even higher and indicate that passenger numbers could rise as high as 24 million by 2030. At present, 95% of these passengers travelling to Glasgow Airport do so by road.
The rail link will provide more travel choice for airport users and establish a sustainable transport link to Glasgow Airport, which is a major employer and one of the biggest wealth generators in the region. It will increase the rail opportunities for travellers using Paisley Gilmour Street station.
The link will also benefit the tourist industry. According to Roger Tym & Partners, Glasgow Airport Rail Link could help bring 52,500 additional UK and overseas visitors and contribute towards £10m in additional visitor expenditure every year to Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. The link would also support the Glasgow City region’s conference sector business, worth an estimated £115m annually. In addition, the link will help support 1300 jobs across Glasgow and Renfrewshire including 650-700 gross new jobs in Paisley town centre.
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