Inverclyde Council has announced that the Glasgow City Region City Deal has approved a contribution of almost £9.7m from its overall £1bn pot. The balance of the marine and landside works for the new cruise berthing and visitor centre will be paid for by Greenock Ocean Terminal operator Peel Ports (£8m) and the George Wyllie Foundation via arts funder the Dunard Trust (£1.5m).
The news comes as early stages of site work begins on the overall project, which is led by Peel Ports and Inverclyde Council.
In addition to the cruise berthing and the visitor centre designed by Richard Murphy Architects, the plans also include a purpose-built gallery celebrating the work of Inverclyde artist George Wyllie and a restaurant with panoramic views across the Clyde.
Peel Ports Clydeport port director Andrew Hemphill said: “Year on year, we are building a major cruise business on the Clyde and, thanks to the success of Greenock Ocean Terminal, more people than ever are taking a cruise to Scotland.
“Who 50 years ago would have anticipated the level of success we’ve had in bringing the world’s biggest container and cruise ships to Greenock? Now we are about to expand our capability further to attract thousands more visitors every year with the new development, up to 150,000 cruise passengers annually.”
Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe said: “The project is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal and aims to boost the capacity at Greenock Ocean Terminal for cruise ships. The addition of a restaurant and Wyllie Gallery will help to provide a year-round attraction for visitors to Greenock and Inverclyde. As a key City Deal project, the new visitor centre at Greenock Ocean Terminal aims to make a significant contribution to economic growth and international tourism across the wider city region area.”
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