News

New Look for Cathcart Street

Inverclyde Council is to oversee the complete restoration of Cathcart Square following a serious water main burst.

Following the leak officers began negotiations with Scottish Water to discuss what could be done to repair the damage and the scale of funding required.

Councillor Robert Moran, Convener of Safe, Sustainable Communities said: “The Council had already set aside funding to carry out renovation work in the square but we saw this as an opportunity to improve on our plans. This really is a case of turning adversity into opportunity as we now have nearly three times the original funding available and can now really make Cathcart Square a public space to be proud of.”

The £300,000 investment by Scottish Water, urban regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde (ri) and Inverclyde Council will see Cathcart Square resurfaced. A number of options are being considered for what material will be used including reinstating the original cobbles, or resurfacing with another material such as Chinese granite, the same material being used for an event space at the nearby junction of Cathcart Street with Rue End Street.

Riverside Inverclyde's CEO, Bill Nicol stated “Riverside Inverclyde is delighted to be involved in this project.  ri is already investing resources in Gourock, Greenock and Port Glasgow town centres and considers the renovation of Clyde Square as integral to its wider town centre regeneration programme”. 

The project will be put out to tender once design work has been completed and could be underway as early as the end of August.

Regeneration Convener Councillor Jim Clocherty said: “I know that local businesses have already been affected with the square being closed for two months. We will do all we can to minimise disruption while the renovation goes on and to maximise access.”