19 August 2005

Airport Rail Link project to protect all 22 football pitches

Following extensive consultation SPT - the organisation promoting Glasgow Airport rail link (GARL) - has drawn up its proposals for St James Playing Fields in Paisley.

Under SPT's proposals, 22 pitches will still be available during and after construction of the rail link. The plans include:

• 20 pitches will be available at St James Playing Fields after the link is constructed. Two pitches and new changing facilities will be provided at Ferguslie Park.
• All pitches will meet league standards.
• New changing facilities will be built at St James Playing Fields, replacing the existing ones.
• During construction, 11 football pitches will be provided at St James Playing Fields. Eleven further temporary pitches will be provided at alternative locations.
• A modern drainage system will be provided for the area immediately east of the proposed viaduct crossing St James Playing Fields.

The news follows SPT's recent announcement that a viaduct had been chosen to cross the fields. SPT's proposals are now with Renfrewshire Council - which owns St James Playing Fields.

SPT chairman Alistair Watson said: "Throughout the consultation we have consulted widely with the community and local football leagues and taken their concerns on board. We believe this proposed solution would allow football to continue to flourish in this area of Scotland and we are delighted that these proposals would mean that no football pitches would be lost to Renfrewshire as a result of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

"We are now in discussions with Renfrewshire Council over the finer details and are working hard to provide them with the detail and reassurance they require in their role as custodians of the playing fields. We will continue to work closely with Renfrewshire Council and I am confident that we can develop these proposals and achieve a good solution not only during the construction period but also for the long-term."

Following the introduction of the Private Bill for the rail link to the Scottish Parliament - set for October 2005 - objectors will have 60 days to register their concerns. SPT would like to see the rail link operational by the end of 2008.

The proposal is to upgrade 9 km (5.4 miles) of existing track between Shields Junction and Paisley Gilmour Street Station and to lay 2 km (1.2 miles) of new track between Paisley St James Station and Glasgow Airport. The new track will cross St James Park and the M8. The upgrade on the Shields Junction to Paisley Gilmour Street section will also enable more services to be developed for the Ayrshire and Inverclyde routes.

SPT's formal public consultation into the Glasgow Airport Rail Link ran from 1 November 2004 to 28 February 2005 - there was a total of 1,638 formal responses. In addition, 284 people attended public meetings and focus groups and 917 people visited the exhibition stands at various locations in Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

The consultation has seen more than 20,000 information leaflets distributed to homes and businesses along the route of the proposed link. A further 15,000 leaflets were distributed on local train services. A series of public exhibitions and meetings have been held and a website has also been established.

The consultation is ongoing. SPT will be talking to businesses, local people other affected groups throughout the passage of the Bill in Parliament, in the lead up and throughout the construction period and afterwards. Liaison groups and forums will be set up to allow community groups and individuals to speak to SPT and the contractors.

Consultants have been investigating the feasibility of building a direct rail link to Glasgow Airport for some 15 years and a preferred route has been identified, which mainly follows existing rail lines.

The Department for Transport estimates that passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport are predicted to almost double, from 8.2 million passengers a year in 2003, to over 15 million passengers a year in 2030. The airport owners' - BAA Scotland - latest forecasts are even higher and indicate that passenger numbers could rise as high as 24 million by 2030. At the moment, 95% of these passengers traveling to Glasgow Airport do so by road.

The rail link will provide more travel choice for airport users and establish a sustainable transport link to Glasgow Airport, which is a major employer and is one of the biggest wealth generators in the west of Scotland. The link will also benefit the tourist industry. According to Roger Tym & Partners, Glasgow Airport Rail Link could help bring 52,500 additional UK and overseas visitors and contribute towards £10m in additional visitor expenditure every year to Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. In addition, the link would support the Glasgow City region's estimated £115m conference sector.

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