The latest round of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)’s ambitious Green Infrastructure Fund will support seven major projects in cities and towns across the central belt. The fund aims to tackle socio-economic issues such as poor health and high unemployment as well as mitigate the impacts of climate change through creating and improving greenspaces in urban communities.

The latest projects in Glasgow, Bishopbriggs and Dunfermline. will improve habitats and biodiversity, transform derelict land, tackle flood risk and create new active travel routes, community gardens and play areas. They all include the provision of new urban greenspace and five of the projects will improve existing parks or create new parks in areas that really need the investment.

Lyne Burn Green Network (Fife Council) - £741,000 to connect greenspace in east Dunfermline, including improved habitat and species networks and biodiversity, the creation of safe active travel routes and better integration of greenspace with the surrounding community.

Cuningar Loop extension (Clyde Gateway) - £1.6 million to extend the woodland park legacy project from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, improving a further 7.67 hectares of vacant and derelict land while protecting and restoring the biodiversity, ecology and sustainability of the site.        

GUARD Argyle Street (Glasgow City Council) - £2 million for a large-scale, ambitious streetscape project that will prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, provide habitat for biodiversity and improve climate resilience in the city centre, making it easier to re-develop the vacant and derelict sites between Argyle Street and the Clyde.

Hamiltonhill (Queen’s Cross Housing Association) - £1.6 million for five new public greenspaces: a community park, play park, link space, tranquil space and community garden.

Queensland Community Park (Southside Housing Association) - £537,000 to manage flood risk for the wider Cardonald and Hillington catchment and enhance underused open space through adventure/natural play facilities, tree and shrub planting and improved access to the site.           

Toryglen Park (Clyde Gateway) - £1.2 million for a mixed use park, wetland, improved nature reserve, woodland and sustainable transport routes in and around North Toryglen and the south side of Glasgow.            

Climate Ready Bishopbriggs (East Dunbartonshire Council) - £295,000 to combine two existing parks, creating a more attractive and functional space and improving stormwater management reducing flood risk to homes.

Announcing the funding, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: 

“This investment will bring significant benefits to communities across seven more urban areas, repurposing and revitalising land to create green spaces and infrastructure which will not only make communities more attractive for people to live and work in, but also attract jobs, businesses and further investment.

“Crucially, this funding will also help address the impacts of climate change by improving biodiversity, managing flood risk, and reducing pollution, while promoting new low carbon lifestyle choices and active transport options in the heart of our communities.”

The Green Infrastructure Fund is part of the Scottish Government’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme and is being delivered in two phases. Projects that were successful in the first phase of funding are already well underway and include seven major capital infrastructure schemes and 12 community engagement projects. Find out more about the projects on the Green Infrastructure Fund website.