There’s an exciting renaissance taking place in Glasgow’s Pollok Park - and it’s not just due to the radical renovation of the iconic Burrell Collection, which will open its doors again next month.

Nestled away in another corner is the Pollok Stables and Sawmill, a beautiful cluster of 14th century buildings that have fallen into chronic disrepair. But that’s about to change.

Plans to renovate the buildings and bring the magnificent Clydesdale horses once stabled there back to their traditional home are at the heart of an ambitious net zero project I visited yesterday.

READ MORE:Pollok park stables plan will bring the city’s Clydesdale horses home

When you consider the A-listed stables and sawmill are classified as “at risk” and the famous Clydesdale breed is threatened, the project is saving our industrial heritage.

This is not just about celebrating the past.

Glasgow Times:

The Pollok Stables project is very much about Glasgow’s future.

It is about creating a superb visitor attraction, bringing jobs, economic growth and attracting tourists while telling the story of horse and hydro power.

And it’s about regenerating the surrounding areas – some of which have been marred by poor health outcomes and a fragile economic outlook.

That’s why the UK Government has invested more than £13 million through its Levelling Up Fund into the exciting proposals to transform the stables and sawmill into a net zero carbon “Living Heritage Centre”.

That investment is part of the UK Government’s levelling up package for the Glasgow City Region which includes £523.7 million via the City Region Deal and more than £77 million in new funds.

There was also £3m in UK Government funding for the renovation of the park’s Burrell Collection.

And while that preserves our history for the next generation, Glasgow being earmarked as one of three UK “Innovation Accelerators” in last week’s Levelling Up White Paper means a share of a £100m to embrace our future in technology too.

It will turbo-charge growth and jobs in a Silicon-Valley-style crucible for research and cutting-edge industry.

Meanwhile, at the park, visitors will be able to enjoy a heritage destination which explains the rich history of the workhorse, whose strength and stamina contributed so much to the Scottish economy.

The transformation will include working stables including riding, learning and equine therapies plus carriage-rides based on the world-famous Budweiser St Louis brewery Clydesdale experience.

The introduction of green technology through a hydro-electric turbine, water-source heat pump, solar energy and battery energy storage system will demonstrate a pathway to net zero.

Pollok Country Park is already one of the finest in Europe. It’s about to get even better.