Disused gate house set for community hub transformation in Barrhead

A new community hub featuring a cafe, workshop, meeting space, office, kitchen, bike hire point and public toilets is to be created in a disused public park gate house in Barrhead by Strathaven-based Procast.The company has secured a £750,000 contract to transform Cowan Park Gate Lodge, which will also include the creation of new car parking spaces and the installation of charging points for electric cars and bikes.The internal works will see the building stripped back to its original shell and will involve the inclusion of energy-efficient technologies.Work is due to start in May and is expected to last 22 weeks. The project will be delivered by Procast’s in-house teams along with specialist subcontractors.Funding for the renovation has come from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and through East Renfrewshire Council’s capital allocation.The council will lease the building and land to social enterprise Include Me 2 Club, who submitted detailed proposals on how they would manage the Lodge as a community hub.