Southside Housing Association leads the way to better green space
Investment will improve play facilities and parking as well as manage increased rainfall.
A community in Cardonald is celebrating an award of £537,215 from the Green Infrastructure Fund to transform the green space around their homes.
At a community event at Queensland Court and Gardens local residents, representatives from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), which manages the Green Infrastructure Fund, presented the cheque for £537,215 to Southside Housing Association (SHA).
The underused open space around the two high rise blocks at Queensland Court and Gardens suffers from excess surface water making the outdoor space limited and often unusable. In addition, the area has poor parking facilities and limited play opportunities for young families. This is set to change, with investment that will improve play facilities and parking as well as manage increased rainfall.
The project will be delivered by Southside Housing Association in partnership with Glasgow City Council which will part fund the improvement works.
Councillor Kenny McLean, Glasgow City Council Convener for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm, said: “Queensland Court and Gardens reflects perfectly the huge value of partnership working that will see urban greenspace otherwise not used to its full potential, vibrantly transformed to the benefit of the local community.
“As part of the Glasgow City Deal funded Surface Water Management Plan for Hillington and Cardonald, integrating drainage interventions with work to enhance the landscape in this way will reduce flood risk and open up new possibilities for further regeneration in the area.”
Alison Devlin, Chair of Southside Housing Association’s Cardonald Neighbourhood Committee, said: “I am delighted to see this further investment of funds to improve the play and parking facilitates as well as helping to deal with flooding in the area. I look forward to seeing the benefits this brings to the local community.”
Humza Yousaf MSP said: “I’m delighted that Southside Housing have been awarded funds to help further regenerate Queensland Court and Gardens within my constituency. This funding will not only improve play and parking facilities on site, it will also complement Glasgow City Council's city-wide investment to mitigate against the impacts of flooding.
“We all have a role to play in tackling the global climate emergency, I am delighted that Southside Housing is playing their part.
“I know my constituents at Queensland will greatly benefit from this investment.”
Queensland Court and Gardens is part of a major Scottish programme of projects investing almost £8 million to help people and nature thrive. The Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention is led by Scottish Natural Heritage and is part funded through the European Regional Development Fund.
Queensland Court and Gardens is also benefitting from being a pilot site for the ‘10,000 Raingardens for Scotland’ project which local residents have been taking part in.
Pictured: Scottish Natural Heritage handing over the cheque to Alison Devlin, Chair of Southside Housing Association’s Cardonald Neighbourhood Committee alongside local residents, Humza Yousaf MSP and the four local Councillors for Ward 4 Cardonald.