Preparatory work on the site of the Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village is under way.

Investigations into ground conditions, infrastructure requirements and ecological studies will bring the 38.5 hectare site up to an acceptable standard to build accommodation and facilities for athletes and, post Games, the community who will live there permanently.

The Athletes' Village location consists of a mixture of former industrial sites, cleared social rented housing and open space. Glasgow City Council has agreed a budget of £15m to fund land acquisition and remediation over the next two years leading up to the start of the main construction programmes on the site in Dalmarnock.

-- Advertisement --

Around £5m will come directly from the Scottish Government as part of the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund, a programme which aims to reduce the number of derelict sites in the city by undertaking work to prepare them for future development and assisting regeneration projects in these areas.

Work, undertaken by the Council, involves examining the condition of the derelict land which historically housed businesses including Springfield Print and Dye Works and Dalmarnock Paper Mills.

Following detailed ground investigations, remediation work begins in January 2009 to restore land identified as needing treatment bringing it up to the standard required for residential use. Work is expected to be completed by Spring 2011.

Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for Commonwealth Games Delivery, said: "Following decades of industrial neglect it is essential that the land on which we plan to build the Athletes' Village is fit for purpose. Not only is it important for the Games but also after 2014 when people hope to live in the area and in these homes for many years to come.

"The preparatory work on site is the first tangible sign of what will be a first-rate athletes' accommodation area for the Games and a new housing neighbourhood for the city."

(GK/JM)