Work on Ravenscraig innovation park starts

Dec 2 2010 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

WORK on a ground-breaking innovation park which will act as a showcase for sustainable development and Scotland’s homes of the future has got under way at Ravenscraig, the site of the former Lanarkshire steelworks.

Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities, was joined by representatives from North Lanarkshire Council and Ravenscraig Ltd last week to mark the start of building work on the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Scotland Innovation Park at Ravenscraig, which will aim to influence the future of house-building in Scotland.

Set in the heart of Ravenscraig, the two-acre park will incorporate four full-scale demonstrator houses and a visitor centre, and will channel over £2 million of new technology investment.

The houses will showcase how homes of the future will tackle issues such as affordability, energy efficiency, the use of recycled materials, carbon emissions and sustainable methods of construction.

BRE Scotland is now inviting companies from across Scotland, who are interested in becoming involved in the development of the innovation park, to submit proposals for the demonstrator homes.

Those selected will then be charged with delivering buildings that meet the net zero carbon standards proposed for 2016.

North Lanarkshire Council, through the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund, has awarded BRE Scotland £500,000 and this money will be used to prepare the site for development.

This will include the completion of landscaping and infrastructure works, such as new roads and a car park, as well as the installation of a sustainable drainage system (SUDS) and street lighting.