Live project
We are working with Inverclyde Council to transform a former Gourock school site into a new community greenspace.
Client and funding
Green Action Trust has been working with Inverclyde Council to develop a masterplan for an area of vacant and derelict land in Gourock, as well as delivering an initial phase of work at the site. Formally the site of St Ninian’s Primary School, the site has stood empty since the old school was demolished in 2017.
Currently inaccessible and uninviting, the site will be transformed into a welcoming greenspace for the local community.
Funding to develop the masterplan and deliver an initial phase of work was secured, and work began on site at the beginning of April 2025.
Aims & objectives
The project aims to deliver multiple outcomes, across these key areas:
Addressing the previous industrial use of the land to improve site safety, accessibility and attractiveness.
A new defined wetland area will manage excess surface water onsite and create interesting habitats
Earthworks and reprofiling of the site will create new areas for play and increase accessibility
Due to the site’s varied past, the first phase of works onsite are focussing on improving the condition of the ground and covering the remains of the demolished school. These works will include:
Once the first phase of works is completed and the seeding is established, the site will be accessible and safe to use by the local community. There will be space for recreation and social activities, local scout groups will be able to use the site and pupils from St Ninian’s Primary School will be able to explore the outdoor world safely beyond their playground. The defined wetland area will help manage surface water onsite and create interesting habitats.
We created a masterplan for the potential improvement of the site in consultation with local community groups. This will act as a guide for how the site could be developed, steering any future phases of work, subject to funding. You can view this masterplan below.
The St Ninian’s greenspace has had a varied history: a field until the late 1800; part of a rifle range alongside copper open cast extraction operations until the early 1900s; in 1965 it was turned into a space for urban recreation. Then, from 1975 to 2017, St Ninian’s R.C. Primary School stood on the site until it was demolished and relocated into new buildings to the east.
There is a former copper mine shaft, since remediated, located to the centre-south of the site. A local legend also talks of a sea monster that came ashore in Gourock on the Clyde during WWII and was buried under the playing fields of the former St Ninian’s school.
At a later stage, we hope to develop some artwork in collaboration with the current St Ninian’s Primary School to decorate the mineshaft fencing and share the site’s story.
From feasibility studies to forests, grant management to greenspace, we can help to make your project a reality. It all starts with a conversation, so contact us now to get started.
