Putting the R in RAVENSCRAIG

Back in 2008, Cloburn was responsible for helping to create a modern work of art. We provided the aggregate to fill in the huge red letter R that was unveiled on the site of the old Ravenscraig steelworks in Motherwell, injecting some colour into the site and giving it a vibrant reminder of the old Ravenscraig corporate logo to look back on.

The massive red letter was a huge project in itself; it’s the size of 10 football pitches, and was originally created to be a part of the ongoing redevelopment of the area. It’s so big that it could even be seen on the London to Glasgow flight path! The installation took 2,000 tonnes of red aggregate from our quarry in Lanark, which was subsequently used in other construction projects on the site.

Murray Collins, of Capella Group said at the time: "The popularity of web-based satellite maps such as Google Earth has led to the growing phenomena of 'earth art' like the big 'r'." He added: "As well as demonstrating the ambition and confidence behind the redevelopment of the site, this project serves a serious purpose in signposting potential investors and partners towards Ravenscraig.

"There is nothing else like this in Scotland, which reflects the unique nature of the entire
Ravenscraig initiative."

Ravenscraig is still undergoing development, and is Scotland’s first new town in over 50 years. It’s also one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe. Once the project has been completed, the new town centre for Ravenscraig will feature around 1 million sq ft of retail, leisure, restaurant and community facilities in one of Scotland’s most accessible areas.

The ambitious regeneration of Ravenscraig has been contentious, but even so it’s expected to create 12,000 jobs and attract more than £1.2 billion of private sector investment over the next 15 - 20 years. To date, at least £200 million has been spent on the first phase of the regeneration with the creation of a brand new £30 million regional sports facility along with a new £70 million campus for Motherwell College and around 850 new houses.