East Renfrewshire Council has announced a drop-in event in relation to regeneration plans for Barrhead.

The event will allow residents and businesses to meet staff involved with the initiatives and to find out more about the proposed developments.

Among the projects are:

• Barrhead North and Shanks Development:

This has been identified as an area for employment and housing development and would include the Glasgow Road corridor and former Nestlé factory, while up to 450 homes would be built at Shanks Park. Bunzl would also see employment generating opportunities, plus new homes with office accommodation.

• Town Centre Improvement:

This project involves a significant investment in the centre of Barrhead, such as the £3.8m refurb of Barrhead Sports Centre into a state-of-the-art community hub, Barrhead Foundry. A new Asda superstore, plus improvements to Carlibar Park and new on-street parking in Barrhead are included in the plans.

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• Auchenback:

A total of £3.4m will be invested in building an early years centre which will have provision for children up to the age of five, and will provide support to parents. It will also act as a community hub where the council will work with other agencies for the benefit of families in Barrhead and other areas in East Renfrewshire.

• Barrhead South:

This area has been identified for housing development of up to 1,050 homes by 2025. This includes a new railway station and improvements in road and path networks, as well as enhancements to Dams to Darnley Country Park.

• Barrhead High School and the surrounding area:

A new £24m facility will replace the old high school and it is expected to open in late 2015. As the new school will take up substantially less space than the current building, the amount of green space in Cowan Park will increase. There are also plans to improve Cowan Park to include a skate park and a new woodland area.

• Barrhead Water Works:

Barrhead won £100,000 in a national competition organised by Kew Gardens and Big Lottery to transform the derelict land into wild flower gardens. The disused concrete tanks will be used as super-sized flower planters and a network of paths will be created for the community to enjoy and explore.

(JP/IT)