REGENERATION chiefs are hoping to secure a hat-trick of awards for the £5 million redevelopment of Gourock’s town centre.

The major Inverclyde Council and Riverside Inverclyde (RI) project won a special commendation at the Saltire Society Civil Engineering Awards last week, following on from ‘best regeneration’ prize at The Herald Property Awards last month.

The pierhead revamp has also been shortlisted for ‘most improved town’ in the prestigious SURF Awards, with the winners to be announced on December 6.

Councillor Michael McCormick, the council’s convener of environment and regeneration, said: “The Gourock redevelopment project was a significant investment in the town by the council and was delivered in a tight timescale by all of the organisations and businesses involved.

“Recognition at two prestigious national awards and shortlisting in a third, can only help to showcase Gourock and Inverclyde to a nationwide audience and is a testimony to the quality of the work delivered.”

The Gourock project was delivered by RI on behalf of the council and included a new one-way system in Kempock Street and Lower Kempock Street – which opened in December last year – aimed at improving traffic flow in the town centre area.

A new car park was created east of Gourock station, repairs were carried out on the existing sea wall and improvements made to public areas along the waterfront.

Gerry McCarthy, chairman of RI, said: “The winning projects in this year’s Saltire Awards, the Forth Road Bridge repairs and the A82 Pulpit Rock Realignment at Loch Lomond, show the calibre of engineering projects which the Gourock project was up against.

“This is the second national prestigious awards the Gourock project has been recognised in and is a fitting reward for the hard work of all of those involved in this project.”