A wider, more natural river channel has been restored to the river, which runs through Barrhead, with the ability to better absorb flooding and encourage more fish and wildlife.
Levern Water project - after restoration
A £2.8 million investment has transformed the Levern Water and the surrounding area which had previously been derelict for decades.
Now complete - a wider, more natural river channel has been restored to the river, which runs through Barrhead, with the ability to better absorb flooding and encourage more fish and wildlife.
Led by East Renfrewshire Council, the project was funded through £1.6 million from the Scottish Government’s Water Environment Fund, administered by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and £1.1 million from the Scottish Government's Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme, with a further £0.1 million contribution from Sustrans.
Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning Joe FitzPatrick said:
“We know high quality green spaces are vital for communities to flourish so I’m pleased the Scottish Government was able to provide £1.1 million from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme to help transform this site into an area people can enjoy after laying derelict for decades.
“Reusing our land in this way is good for the climate and reflects our place based regeneration aims to support ambitious local approaches to tackling persistent vacant and derelict land.”
East Renfrewshire Council Leader, Owen O'Donnell added:
“It has been fantastic to see what the Levern Water revival project has achieved in terms of regenerating derelict land and helping to future proof against flooding and the impact of climate change.
Levern Water project - before restoration
Lucie Stewart, Restoration Specialist at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), commented:
“As Scotland’s climate changes, it’s more important than ever that we protect and improve our rivers. In the last ten years, more than £25 million has been invested into the re-naturalisation of rivers across Scotland through the Water Environment Fund (WEF), and the Levern Water in Barrhead is the latest success story. As well as creating an attractive blue-green space for the local community and improved floodplain, the project also makes the river more accessible to migratory fish such as sea trout and eel, and we look forward to their return.”
Work at the one-hectare site was carried out by contractor AmcoGiffen Ltd.
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