Local businesses set to benefit from �1.2 billion Ravenscraig regeneration

Businesses in Lanarkshire will benefit from the ambitious �1.2 billion regeneration of Ravenscraig, potentially creating hundreds of jobs.
This assurance was given this week to the local business community by key members of the team at Ravenscraig Ltd which comprises Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire and Corus.
The occasion was the Spotlighting Lanarkshire conference which was organised by Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by North Lanarkshire Council and officially opened by Liz Cameron, Executive Director of Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
More than 100 companies were represented at the conference in Motherwell Concert Hall to hear about the potential opportunities available now that construction work had started.
Murray Collins, Regeneration Manager at Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, said: �The regeneration of Ravenscraig is one of the most extensive construction projects in Scotland.
�As part of the project, we are committed to ensuring that local companies are given business opportunities.
�Already, the �10 million initial infrastructure project to create the spine road through the site and associated earthworks brought jobs and opportunities for 31 Lanarkshire companies with 65% of the workforce coming from Lanarkshire.
�Some 40 -50% of the total spend on this initial pre construction phase also went to local companies.
�Given that the total investment in Ravenscraig is likely to be in the order of �1.2billion, then this represents a tremendous economic opportunity for local companies.�
Redevelopment of the 1,125 acre former Ravenscraig steelworks site in Lanarkshire has now commenced and main first phase contractors Balfour Beatty are on site.
The first phase of the redevelopment, which will also include a multi-million pound  regional sports facility and the relocation of Motherwell College to a new, state-of-the-art campus, is due to be completed by the end of June 2009.
Douglas Millar, Chief Executive of Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "The Ravenscraig Seminar provided a most informative update while outlining the opportunity for our members to generate new business linked to the project.
"The first step for interested companies is to complete and submit the Supplier Database Questionnaire provided by Construction Lanarkshire, copies of which are available at the Chamber Office in Barncluith Business Centre in Hamilton."
In her speech to the conference Liz Cameron, Executive Director of The Scottish Chambers of Commerce, praised the Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce for organising the Spotlight event and for the tremendous efforts it had made over the past 3 years to serve the local business community.
She highlighted the major role that the Chamber had played in lobbying on behalf of its members and congratulated Lanarkshire Chamber on the work it had done to promote links between Lanarkshire and China.
She also used her address to launch a new Chamber of Commerce �Manufacturing Connect Programme� designed by the Chamber to help and assist manufacturing businesses in Lanarkshire.
Information about the programme is available from Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce or online at www.manufacturing-connect.co.uk

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