Funding has been approved for over £900 million of infrastructure projects to be carried out under the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley City Deal package to boost the west of Scotland economy.

Located in six of the eight local authority boundaries participating in the £1 billion-plus City Deal, the initial projects include a sliproad from the M77, a new water sports park at Dams to Darnley Country Park and a new railway station in Barrhead.

The business cases approved also include work on improvements in Glasgow city centre, boosting the area around Glasgow Airport as a business destination and other major infrastructure schemes.

Work will start next month to clear the former Levern Works site in Barrhead before it is marketed for development.

Longer terms plans for Glasgow via the City Deal include developing a cultural and creative hub at Spiers Lock and Port Dundas, improvements around the inner east end, a new bridge connecting Govan and Partick and a pedestrian cycle route.

Last year both the UK and Scottish governments announced that they will give the Glasgow and Clyde Valley local authorities £500m each for the project, while the local authorities will borrow £130m for capital investment.

The City Deal is aiming to produce tens of thousands of jobs in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley over the coming decades through 20 major infrastructure projects, growing key sectors such as life sciences and addressing challenges in the region’s labour market.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, chair of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal Cabinet, said: “The decision by the Cabinet to approve these business cases signals the first stage in delivering projects which will transform the Clyde Valley’s economy. These exciting City Deal schemes will greatly improve our infrastructure, making the area even more attractive to investors and developers and will bring thousands of jobs.”

The eight local authorities participating in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal are: East Dunbartonshire Council; East Renfrewshire Council; Glasgow City Council; Inverclyde Council; North Lanarkshire Council; Renfrewshire Council; South Lanarkshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council.