Hosted by Russell Wilkie, director of Ravenscraig, the visit provided an opportunity to see the progress made so far and discuss the future plans for the 1,200-acre site in North Lanarkshire.

Once home to Scotland’s iconic steelworks before its closure in 1992, Ravenscraig is now at the heart of a major regeneration initiative focused on sustainable and inclusive growth. The long-term vision is to create a self-sufficient 20-minute neighbourhood with high-quality housing, transport links, education, and employment opportunities. To date, 1,000 homes have been built alongside a regional sports facility, a college campus, a local pub/restaurant and crucial active travel links connecting surrounding communities.

The minister toured key areas of the site, including the employment land, plots earmarked for extensive remediation works, and future development zones which will enable a further 3,500 homes including 500 affordable homes, industrial/commercial, retail and leisure space as well as enhanced infrastructure.

Recent developments at Ravenscraig include a new planning application for 48 affordable homes and a 14,500 sq ft neighbourhood retail hub by McTaggart Construction and Ravenscraig Ltd. Additionally, planning permission has been granted for a 38,000 sq ft Motus Commercials vehicle workshop and sales facility, with construction expected to begin in January 2025 within the SevenFourEight employment area.

Speaking on the visit, Russell Wilkie, director of Ravenscraig, said: “It’s been a strong start to 2025 for Ravenscraig, with a range of exciting new development opportunities currently in the pipeline, driving us towards our goal of creating a vibrant, self-sufficient community.

“It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister to site today and showcase the progress and potential for Ravenscraig. Collaboration is key in delivering projects that drive investment, create jobs, and provide much-needed housing across Scotland.”

Housing minister Paul McLennan said: “This development is a great example of collaboration between the public and private sectors to bring in the investment required to transform this former industrial site into a thriving neighbourhood and provide a range of much-needed housing to the area. 

“More partnership approaches like this are a key strand of the Housing Investment Taskforce and I was delighted to hear about the success factors for this project on my visit today.”