Scottish town's old crane could become a zip slide following sale of historic site

GREENOCK’S iconic Titan crane could become the UK’s longest urban zip slide as part of ambitious plans to regenerate the surrounding area and the town’s historic Sugar Sheds.

James Watt Dock LLP have announced the conditional sale of a significant area of waterfront at James Watt Dock, which includes the local landmark, to Glasgow Arts Centre Limited.

Bosses at James Watt Dock LLP, a partnership which brings together waterside regeneration firm Peel Waters and Riverside Inverclyde, say the move will unlock a "mixed-use future" for the site, allowing it to be used for food and drink outlets, leisure facilities and housing.

(Image: George Munro) It is proposed that the area’s massive cantilever crane, which has towered over the dock for more than a century, is turned into an urban zip slide as part of the development.

Planning permission for the development is expected to be submitted to Inverclyde Council in the early autumn.

The development will take place in three stages. The first phase will see work carried out on sheds C and D and the Titan crane, with the second relating to sheds A and B, and the third taking place in the boat yard area of the dock. 

No further detail was provided in Tuesday's announcement about exactly what work is proposed to take place in each stage of the development.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Peel Waters said: “Ownership of each phase will only be transferred following the successful completion of the previous phase, underlining a shared commitment between James Watt Dock LLP and Glasgow Arts Centre Limited to ensure high-quality delivery and preservation of the site's heritage.

“This structured drawdown approach helps safeguard the future of the listed structures while enabling a bold new chapter for the docklands.”

Brian Lavalette, property director for Scotland at Peel Waters and a member of the James Watt Dock LLP board said: “This is an exciting moment for the Inverclyde waterfront. Glasgow Arts Centre Limited brings imagination, experience and a genuine commitment to heritage-led development. We look forward to seeing the plans evolve and the site flourish."

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, added: “This is a significant moment not just for the historic Sugar Sheds and iconic Titan Crane but for the ongoing regeneration of Inverclyde.

Council leader Stephen McCabe said he was 'delighted' to welcome Glasgow Arts Centre Limited as the new owners of the Sugar Sheds and surrounding land. (Image: George Munro) “I’m delighted to welcome Glasgow Arts Centre Ltd as the new owner of these famous landmarks and their proposals to redevelop the site has the potential to create an exciting new attraction to encourage even more people, near and far, to discover Inverclyde and the many great things we have to offer.”

It was reported in May that talks were "at an advanced stage" for a mystery developer to purchase the Sugar Sheds, which were used for more than 100 years until the late 1990s to store raw sugar cane transported by ship from the Caribbean.

In recent years, the largely empty and unused building has fallen into disrepair, with part of the structure destroyed by fire in 2006.

In December, it was revealed that an exclusion zone had been set up around the crane after a report of material from the structure falling onto a nearby boat.

Peel Waters said urgent repairs would be carried out on the crane in January.

Glasgow Arts Centre Limited works on rescuing and renovating buildings that have architectural merit or that are important to Glasgow's heritage, repurposing them for use by the community, artists and small businesses.

Bradley Mitchell of Glasgow Arts Centre Limited says his vision is of 'something exceptional for locals and visitors alike' at the site. (Image: Peel Waters) The firm is led by director Bradley Mitchell, whose portfolio includes the Britannia Panopticon in the city's Trongate, the former Barclay Curle shipyard in Whiteinch - home to another Titan crane - and the transformation of several developments along Washington Street in the Anderston area into a bustling creative studio area for artists, musicians, producers and creatives.

Mitchell said: "We're delighted to begin this journey at James Watt Dock. Our vision is one that blends ambition with sensitivity to the site’s rich history, creating something exceptional for locals and visitors alike.

“We have a lot of history along the Clyde and I would like to connect Greenock to Glasgow through culture and heritage.

"We feel the site has a lot of potential for small businesses and start-ups and could be something really exciting for Greenock.”