Funded by the UK and Scottish Governments, the Deal, one of the largest and most advanced in the UK, has delivered over £550 million in local infrastructure investment to date across the eight local council areas and is estimated to have attracted more than £880m worth of follow-on investment since 2014.

Projects delivered through the City Deal include the Govan-Partick Bridge which has recorded over one million crossings in its first year of operation, while just further down the Clyde the Renfrew Bridge has begun welcoming pedestrians and vehicles, both projects unlocking new opportunities for investment and regeneration.

Additionally, more than £159m worth of City Deal contracts have been awarded to local businesses, and thousands of community benefits secured including 367 jobs and apprenticeships, and more than £177,000 worth of support for community projects.

The report comes after the City Deal programme passed its second formal UK and Scottish Government Gateway Review, unlocking a further £300m in funding, which commended Glasgow City Region for its strong governance, robust programme management and effective delivery.

The report was considered at a meeting this week of the Region’s Cabinet of eight council leaders who oversee the Deal and the economic strategy.

Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: “These past 12 months have again demonstrated that the Glasgow City Region continues to deliver for our people and communities. And also, how absolutely vital our largest city region is to Scotland’s and the UK’s ambitions for growth, prosperity and equity.

“Major infrastructure projects are transforming our places by delivering new homes and improving connectivity at the same time as creating and sustaining thousands of jobs. That’s a track record all our partners can be proud of.

“Unlocking a further £300m in funding gives us much to build on and, working with both the UK and Scottish Governments to secure the necessary powers and resources, we know we can take the City Region to the next level. That’s something we’ll all benefit from.”

The Region is also making strong headway on the 12 programmes set out in the Regional Economic Strategy, with advances in skills, inclusive growth, housing retrofit and electric vehicle charging rollout. This includes significant progress in the Campaign to Make Glasgow City Region a Living Wage Place, with more than 1,360 employers now Living Wage accredited in the Region and plans to deliver more than 3,000 new electric vehicle charging points across the Region.

Significant strides have been made in strengthening Glasgow City Region’s innovation economy, including the recent announcement of at least a further £30m funding from the UK Government through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) to unlock local innovation and grow the economy.

The £160m Investment Zone continues to gather pace, with confirmation of its focus on the Advanced Manufacturing sector – targeting the space, maritime and semiconductor sub-sectors across six short-listed projects.

The Innovation Accelerator has also seen a £30m funding extension – supporting projects such as the world’s first ‘chemputation’ facility in Maryhill, which will create 60 new jobs and safeguard 50 existing roles.

The Innovation Action Plan, launched at the end of 2023, has seen key progress in the last year including the creation of the Glasgow Economic Leadership Innovation Group.

The Cabinet meeting was hosted at Glasgow Airport which provided an opportunity for AGS CEO, Kam Jandu, to discuss investment plans for the airport announced earlier this year and the important role of the airport in supporting the growth of the local regional economy.