Regeneration of Ferguslie Mills

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Regeneration of the former Ferguslie Mills and adjacent coal yard in Paisley’s west end is a success story for the Council working in partnership with the private sector. The successful redevelopment - which consists primarily of new housing and associated infrastructure and environmental improvements - has been facilitated by the Council’s Planning and Transport Department and delivered largely by private sector developers.

Regeneration has been achieved at little cost to the public purse, but in accordance with the Council’s desired framework.

Industrial heritage
Following the final closure of Ferguslie Mills approximately 20 years ago, the site had by the 1980's become a major and prominent area of industrial dereliction encompassing 29 hectares (including the adjacent coal yard) in the west end of Paisley.

Although derelict and visually degraded, the site had considerable industrial heritage. It is traversed by the last remaining part of the Glasgow-Ardrossan Canal, one of the three main canals in central Scotland even though it was only completed as far as Johnstone. The canal basin within the site provides a major water feature.

The site also contains a number of listed buildings which date from the heyday of the site’s use as the Mills. One of these was the Category ‘A’ listed No. 1 Spinning Mill, which was demolished with the approval of the Secretary of State in 1992.

Development proposals
Initial redevelopment consisted of two piecemeal housing developments on the southern portion of the site, each consisting of approximately 100 dwellings, but without any planning gain in terms of the conservation of the site’s industrial heritage.

Access to the developments was from Green Road, which forms the southern boundary of the Ferguslie Mills site as a whole. However, Green Road was not considered to be suitable for accessing more new developments on the site. The redevelopment of other areas of the former Mills therefore depended on the construction of a new road into the site.

Comprehensive renewal framework
To resolve this and other complex issues involved in the regeneration of the Mills site, the Council prepared a comprehensive renewal framework which set out an integrated approach to redevelopment of the site.

The poor road circulation through and around the site was a major issue. A prerequisite for the site’s development was a new road to connect the A761 Ferguslie with Lounsdale Road, to improve cross-town access. Positioning this road through, rather than around, the site would open the site up and allow its future development potential to be realised.

Implementing the framework
The first stage in this process was the establishment of a working party convened by the Planning and Transport Department. This brought together landowners, the Council’s functions as roads and planning authority, and other relevant interests. Although visually degraded, the site’s combination of vacant land and derelict listed buildings were identified as a major development opportunity. The working party agreed that the redevelopment of the site should be housing-led.

Redevelopment of the site was guided by a development brief approved by the Planning Committee in January 1991. The purpose of this brief was to provide a framework to integrate the various elements of the development - including an urban design context for the individual housing developers, a context for the rehabilitation of the remaining listed buildings and canal, and the requirement for major roads improvements in the area.



Achievements
The physical renewal of the site progressed steadily through the 1990's, with the new road, housing development and refurbishment of Listed Buildings completed by 2000.

The only financial costs incurred by the Council have been for a short section of the new link road in the centre of the site, and a small Heritage Fund grant towards the cost of rehabilitating the Ferguslie North Gatehouse on West Lane. All other refurbishments of Listed Buildings were implemented without external subsidy.

Housing
A total of approximately 700 new homes have been created on the site by a range of housebuilders including Beazer, McLean, Ossian, Cala and Wimpey. This represents a significant injection of new residential population into the west end of Paisley, which is providing valuable support for local community facilities of all kinds - from schools and churches to local shops - in what had become a depressed neighbourhood after the Mills finally closed.

Ferguslie Mills architectural and industrial heritage
Six Listed Buildings have been saved from the threat of demolition. All have been rehabilitated for residential use with the exception of Tannahills Bridge. The six Listed Buildings are: Bridge Lane Gatehouse, Tannahills Bridge, the Counting House, Ferguslie North Gatehouse (West Lane), the Stables and Store, and the former Stable Block (Station Road).

Glasgow-Ardrossan Canal
This last remaining section of the Canal has been protected against the threat of removal and conserved for the foreseeable future. The water level within the level has been lowered, creating a more viable habitat for wildlife. The canal basin has been enhanced as an attractive open water habitat within a residential area, with natural fringes to enhance its biodiversity and nature conservation interest.

Woodland conservation
A Tree Preservation Order gave statutory protection to a group of sycamores in the southern part of the site in 1986, when the initial housing developments were being progressed. This Order served to retain these trees for amenity reasons despite the then mounting development pressures.

New road
A new distributor road and roundabout provided mainly by volume housebuilders to an agreed design and funding formula.This road has allowed the comprehensive renewal of the site and improved cross-town traffic distribution.

For more information:

• email : pt@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone: 0141 842 5811/5822
• fax: 0141 842 5040
• call or write to:
  Planning and Transport
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley
  PA1 1LL
  

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