European Structural and Investment Funds

CASE STUDY: Fernbrae Meadows – Scottish Natural Heritage (European Regional Development Fund)

June 9, 2020 by Patrick Douglas No Comments | Category Case study

Scottish Natural Heritage’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Fund seeks to enhance the quality of life for people in urban communities by supporting projects that improve and expand greenspaces in towns and cities. The GI Fund is supported with £16.4 million of allocated grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

In total there seven GI projects, including Fernbrae Meadows in South Lanarkshire, and 11 smaller GI community engagement projects.

For many years the area now known as Fernbrae Meadows was a derelict former golf course. Thanks to ERDF support, South Lanarkshire Council, in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, transformed the area into more than 20 hectares of managed greenspace for local residents.

Fernbrae Meadows is now an urban park containing new exercise areas, viewpoints, trees, a wildflower meadow, and around eight kilometres of paths and cycleways, improving accessibility to what was previously private land. The park is a place for the community to engage with and learn about nature, including local schoolchildren and the ‘Friends of Fernbrae’ group who are responsible for activity and maintenance.

Watch the video clip below to see a birds-eye view of the park on an open day in August 2019:

To find out more about the Green Infrastructure Fund and projects like Fernbrae Meadows, visit: www.greeninfrastructurescotland.scot

Project details

• Operation name: Green Infrastructure Challenge Fund
• ERDF contribution: £15,868,000
• Total expenditure: £39,134,286
• Lead Partner: Scottish Natural Heritage
• Thematic Objective: 6. Preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency
• Programme: European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020

Tags: erdf, European Regional Development Fund, Green Infrastructure

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