TOWN CENTRE REGENERATION FUND PROJECTS : PORT GLASGOW AND GOUROCK

Riverside Inverclyde and Inverclyde Council have secured funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund from the Scottish Government to enable two new sculptures to be commissioned for the entrances to Port Glasgow and Gourock. These sculptures will sit in the newly landscaped areas at the A8 entrance to Port Glasgow and on the grassy knoll at the start of Kempock Street in Gourock. The drawings showing the landscape setting for the sculptures on the two sites are shown below.

The landscaping and sculptures will complement the shop front improvement works, floral planting and lighting works which have been taking place to create a more pleasant town centre ambiance. The intention is to make the entrances to both towns more distinctive and welcoming with a recognizable sculptural form, which has some relevance to the site and the town. In addition to being eye-pleasing, it is felt that the sculpture chosen should also have the potential to promote a positive image for each town.

Proposals have been received from several suitable sculptors and a public display of their concepts for the two pieces of public art will be displayed in the libraries in Port Glasgow and Gourock between Wednesday 16th February and Wednesday 2nd March with the general public being given the opportunity for to vote for their preference. A final choice will then be made by local panels of representatives from each town as to which sculptor and piece of public art is appropriate for these areas.

You can alternatively vote on-line for your preference by clicking on the either of the Port Glasgow or Gourock tabs below.

As part of the Greenock Town Centre Regeneration Funding, Riverside Inverclyde and Inverclyde Council have been given funding to improve the safety of pedestrians and the visual appearance of the underpass at West Stewart Street, which connects the bus station to the Oak Mall.

The complaint from local people was that the existing underpass was poorly lit and often slippy underfoot in the rain. The work being undertaken involves improving the lighting along with surface treatment to the walls and floors.

The contract for these works has been awarded to Landscape and Contracts at Hillington. To date, they have been able to keep the underpass open, as they have worked on renewing the stairs to the underpass.

Unfortunately as of today, they now require a month, till the end of October, to complete the works, during which time pedestrians will have to be diverted via Nicolson Street and West Blackhall Street. The contractor will provide appropriate diversionary signage.

Riverside Inverclyde, Inverclyde Council and Landscape and Contracts apologise for the inconvenience caused to pedestrians during this period and would ask that you bear with us as we endeavour to improve the safety and appearance of this area.

Should you have any queries please contact Brian McAlister at Landscape and Contracts on 0141 883 8610 or Eric Forbes on 07807 763 031.
For more information regarding the TCRF works see www.visitgreenock.co.uk

West Stewart Street Underpass

The images are the final pieces of work from a summer project for Port Glasgow in Bloom. macART worked with the kids of Boglestone Community Centre who produced some fantastic work that was then brought to life when installed on the Library Windows and large banner on the wall out side the Port Glasgow Swimming Pool.

Designers at macART, a multi-faceted creative agency, are ‘well chuffed’ with the results of spending quality time with some of Greenock’s artistic youngsters. macART worked with pupils at Greenock’s All Saints and Lady Alice Primary School last term on a fantastic art project for the community. The resulting images, based on the theme inspired by Greenocks new horse sculpture, have just been unveiled on a series of hoarding panels in Cathcart Street.

macART is the collaborative design agency behind the project, commissioned by Riverside Inverclyde and Inverclyde Council as part of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund initiative. The brief was to create 20 hoardings around the construction site for a new public plaza and horse sculpture on Cathcart Street.

Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/user/macARTeu

With the help of Inverclyde Council Education Department, the macART designers worked with the children of All Saints and Lady Alice Primary School. “Bringing the real world of art and design into the classroom and showing the children how it connects to their lessons was enormous fun,” says Andy Nicol of macART.

The children came up with their own ideas and designs, around the outlines of galloping horses. The artwork has been made into huge mesh banners, and the pupils even get a name-check.  Once the landscaping is complete and the horse sculpture is in place in November, the banners will be re-used for other local projects. If you look at these colourful and original images for long enough, you might even hear the sound of whinnying and clattering hooves.

For Further information contact the macART press office on 0141 202 0737  or direct on 0845 2600 299

Details attached.

Details attached.

Details above.