A NEW dedicated forum has been set up to drive further regeneration plans forward in Gourock.

After the £5.2m redevelopment of the town centre, the newly-established Gourock Regeneration Forum has held its inaugural meeting.

Local councillor Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld takes the helm as chair of the group, which aims to bring local business, groups and individuals together.

It has been created by Inverclyde Council and urban regeneration company, Riverside Inverclyde (ri) and is one of three such bodies in Inverclyde - the other two focus on Greenock and Port Glasgow.

The forums aim to attract investment and boost business in Inverclyde, sourcing external funding to allow priority projects to be implemented.

Plans are also underway to recruit a dedicated officer to co-ordinate regeneration activities within Inverclyde’s town and village centres.

Councillor Ahlfeld, said: “The new Gourock Regeneration Forum is a vital opportunity to bring together people with ideas and vision and, crucially, local knowledge and influence to push forward regeneration in the town centre.

"We start from a strong base by building on the recent £5.2m regeneration work and Gourock’s very positive reputation, excellent facilities and location. As a community, we all have a shared interest in seeing a strong and prosperous town centre. That applies to Gourock itself, but also right across Inverclyde.

"The three regeneration forums have a real opportunity to work hard for their own areas, but also to make sure that our combined efforts contribute to realising opportunities to encourage more economic growth in our area by each capitalising on our unique strengths. We have made an excellent start. The enthusiasm of the team was excellent and we will always be open to ideas and suggestions for improving Gourock .”