A-listed shelter to be restored as part of neighbourhood transformation...

A HISTORIC Glasgow landmark is about to be transformed as part of a £1million revamp. Work at Bridgeton Cross will begin later this month and it will see the A-listed Bridgeton Shelter and Clock - known affectionately as The Umbrella' - restored to the grandeur of its original unveiling in 1875.

New Caithness granite stone paving, similar in look to the pedestrianised areas of Glasgow city centre, will also be laid at the Cross and further improvements will be made to James Street, Landressy Street and part of London Road.

The work, expected to last a year, will see the Cross become more pedestrian-friendly, while new benches, bins and planters will be installed and bus shelters will be improved.

To increase security and safety CCTV systems will be improved and new street lights will be added to improve visibility. Existing trees will be removed and replaced, while the long-closed below street-level toilet block will be infilled and the surrounding railings taken away.

And there will also be a memorial to Robert Burns in recognition of the Bridgeton Burns Club, one of the oldest in the world, formed in 1870.

Regeneration company Clyde Gateway has given the contract for the job to Land Engineering, one of the biggest Scottish firms involved in public area improvement, and they are expected to start on Monday October 26.

The changes come on the back of consultation with local people and this included a three-day exhibition in March. A steering group of local families and businesses have also had their say in the final designs and improvements.

Audrey Carlin, Project Manager at Clyde Gateway said: "I'm thrilled that we are just about ready to make a start on such an important landmark project.

"The residents on the steering group have been absolutely fantastic over the last few months and this project would never have got off the ground without all of their hard work and effort.

"Clyde Gateway has listened to local views and what we are now going to deliver is a Bridgeton Cross that is high-quality, attractive, safe and central for shoppers, pedestrians and public transport users while improving business for local services and suppliers."

And locals back the plan.

Owen Stewart, a long-term Bridgeton man and member of the 12-strong steering group is looking forward to the work getting under way.

Mr Stewart said: "Over the years, people in Bridgeton and the wider East End have looked on as other parts of Glasgow have been changed for the better.

"It's fantastic to see that it's now our turn.

"I'm really pleased to have been able to get involved with Clyde Gateway at such an early stage of their work, and it's been really interesting watching how projects such as this go from an idea to reality.

"The fact that the Bridgeton Umbrella and the surrounding area are such a priority with Clyde Gateway is definitely giving the whole area a real lift, and I know I'm not alone in being excited about next summer, when the wraps come off and the drawings and images become reality."

The deal which allows the work to go ahead includes a so-called community benefit clauses' which will ensure that three residents from within the Clyde Gateway regeneration area will be taken on by Land Engineering for the duration of the works.

The three workers are currently being recruited on behalf of Clyde Gateway and Land Engineering by the Glasgow East Regeneration Agency.

Pupils from Dalmarnock and Sacred Heart Primary Schools are also getting involved in arts and education projects, with plans to incorporate some of their engraving work into the new pavements.

In addition to Clyde Gateway's improvements to Bridgeton Cross, a commitment has been given by First Scotrail and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport for some new signs and general improvements to Bridgeton rail station.