EAST Renfrewshire Council is to contribute to a joint economic action plan as one of the eight Glasgow City Region local authorities.

In a first of its kind in Scotland, the member councils will pursue a common strategy between now and 2035 to boost employment, skills and inclusive growth.

Working collaboratively, the group is targeting 100,000 extra jobs, 6,500 new businesses and improvements in qualifications and training.

Aside from ERC, the other local authorities participating in the joint strategy are East Dunbartonshire Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Renfrewshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council.

The group is also aiming to bring thousands of hectares of vacant land into use by supporting the building of 110,000 new homes across the region.

Key stakeholders gathered at The Lighthouse in Glasgow, regarded as Scotland’s centre for design and architecture, to hear more about the regional economic strategy.

ERC leader Jim Fletcher said: “The City Deal has been great news for East Renfrewshire.

“Our ambitious vision for the area’s future development has been significantly enhanced and accelerated thanks to our £44 million City Deal investment.

“With that work already at an advanced stage, I am excited by the huge potential the regional economic strategy offers all of the councils which are involved.

“It sets out an ambitious plan for growing the economy of the City Region and we are committed to strong collaborative working in order to achieve this.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, Glasgow City Region Cabinet chairman, added: “This strategy and action plan represents a step-change in our approach.

“We are collaborating more closely than ever before and want to extend that strong, open partnership to the Scottish and UK Governments, the business community and other agencies, such as our colleges and universities.

“Only by working together will we build a more resilient and dynamic city region that delivers homes and jobs for a skilled workforce and prosperity for all its people.”