Spango Valley#The IBM Years

IBM opened a factory in the valley in 1954 to manufacture typewriters and other office equipment. The factory expanded along the valley floor through the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, extending to {{convert|1|mi|km|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} in length at its peak as the business moved from typewriters to bank terminals and eventually to Personal Computers in the early 1980s. The 1954 factory was built on the site of Kingston Farm, the final building to be constructed by IBM was a call centre, on the site of Spango Farm, which was demolished to make way for it.{{Cite web|url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15&lat=55.93186&lon=-4.82740&layers=5&right=BingHyb|title=NLS Maps}} Remaining farms in the valley are Dunrod, Chrisswell, Flatterton and Leitchland.

By 2009, the IBM factory was partially demolished as parts of the PC manufacturing business were sold to other companies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1216426|title=Geograph web site}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2014/03/03/greenock_ibm_x86_china/|title=The Register web site}} Around this time, the site and remaining buildings were sold by IBM and rebranded as Valley Park, from whom IBM leased some of the buildings that they still occupied.{{Cite web|url=http://www.valleypark-greenock.co.uk/|title=Valley park web site}} Another occupant on the site at that time was the National Microelectronics Institute.{{Cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4064020|title=Geograph web site}} IBM completely vacated the site in October 2016 and moved to the east end of Greenock.{{cite web|url=https://www.ibm.com/uk-en/marketing/locations/greenock.html|title=IBM Greenock web site}}

By September 2020, all buildings on the former IBM campus had been demolished.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inverclydenow.com/in-pictures-final-ibm-spango-valley-building-bites-the-dust/|title=Inverclyde Now web site}}

File:Spango Hole - geograph.org.uk - 809845.jpg|Spango Valley: view of IBM railway station and the "Hole of Spango" from Ailleymill Road

File:Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 965881.jpg|Buildings at the south end of the IBM campus

File:IBM Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 1387178.jpg|IBM buildings in 2009

File:Former IBM Distribution Centre - geograph.org.uk - 809766.jpg|Sanmina SCI branding on the former IBM Automated Materials Distribution Centre building

File:IBM reception - geograph.org.uk - 823638.jpg|IBM Reception in 2008

File:Autumn In Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 275606.jpg|IBM Automated Materials Distribution Centre building

File:Spango Valley and Leapmoor Forest - geograph.org.uk - 809807.jpg|IBM buildings in 2008

File:IBM main entrance - geograph.org.uk - 666527.jpg|IBM main access road in 2007

File:IBM Call Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1164085.jpg|IBM call centre building in 2009

File:Wendy House - geograph.org.uk - 275603.jpg|A plastic building which housed a lab to test computer products for electrical emissions

File:Spango_Valley_demolition_from_Idzholm_Hill.jpg|This 2013 photo shows that much of the factory has been demolished

File:Spango_Valley_and_A78_road_from_Idzholm_Hill.jpg|This 2013 photo shows that much of the factory has been demolished

In the early 1980s the A742 Inverkip Road through Spango Valley was substantially upgraded to dual carriageway standard to accommodate the increased traffic to and from the IBM complex and the nearby Inverkip Power Station which has also since been demolished.{{Cite web|url=https://brownandmason.com/projects/demolition-of-inverkip-power-station-inverclyde/|title=BAM web site}} At that time, the road was renumbered to A78 and became a trunk road. The former A78 road (through Gourock) was renumbered to A770 at the same time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A742|title=SABRE}}

File:Spango Valley flyover - geograph.org.uk - 666510.jpg|The "IBM flyover" which provided access to the IBM campus from the A78

File:New road signs in Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 1164076.jpg|New road signs on the approach to the (by now mostly derelict) IBM campus

File:A78 in Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 1164081.jpg|Pedestrians crossing warning signs on the approach to the IBM campus

File:Crossing Point on A78 - geograph.org.uk - 666523.jpg|Warning sign at the pedestrian crossing point at the IBM campus

The Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway Company opened a line from Port Glasgow, through Spango Valley to Wemyss Bay in 1865. Ravenscraig station was a single platform station, located at the extreme north end of the valley, which was in use from 1865 to 1944.

Now part of the electrified Inverclyde railway line between Glasgow Central and Wemyss Bay, the single track line passes along the east side of the valley (between Branchton and Inverkip stations). IBM railway station, which opened in May 1978 as IBM Halt to serve the IBM factory had its services suspended on 8 December 2018 following demolition of the IBM factory.{{Cite web|url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/i/ibm_halt/index.html|title=Disused Stations web site}}

A branch line left the main line at Dunrod Farm at the extreme south end of the valley. This approximately {{convert|1|mi|km|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} long mineral line ran to the sandstone quarries at the top of Shielhill Glen.{{cite web|url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15&lat=55.91863&lon=-4.83443&layers=6&right=BingHyb|title=NLS Maps}}

File:IBM Halt - geograph.org.uk - 1213020.jpg|IBM Halt in 2009

File:IBM Halt - geograph.org.uk - 1213034.jpg|IBM Halt in 2009

File:IBM Halt - geograph.org.uk - 1213103.jpg|IBM Halt in 2009

File:IBM Railway Station, Greenock, Scotland (2007).jpg|IBM Halt in 2007

File:Train in Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 1216550.jpg|A train at the south end of the valley

File:Train in Spango Valley - geograph.org.uk - 1216195.jpg|A train passing the IBM boiler house

File:Site Of Dunrod Mill Lade - geograph.org.uk - 125911.jpg|Remains of the mineral line junction at Dunrod in 2006

File:Wassand - geograph-4892682-by-Martin-Dawes.jpg|Site of Ravenscraig railway station

File:Ravenscraig - geograph-4918791-by-Thomas-Nugent.jpg|Site of Ravenscraig railway station

Two schools were located adjacent to each other in the north end of the valley. They shared an access road off Inverkip Road, including a bridge over the Spango Burn.

Greenock High School opened their new building 1971. This replaced the former high school building on Dunlop Street.

The new Glenburn Special Needs School opened in the 1960s.

By 2014, both schools had been closed and demolished. Glenburn relocated to the 'super campus' in the east end of Port Glasgow and Greenock High School merged with Grovepark High School to form Inverclyde Academy.

The schools site was later prepared for the construction of a new £75 million 300 cell prison for women. This included the building of a new access road and bridge across the Spango Burn. However, plans were dropped by the Scottish Government before construction began. This was due to a change in government policy related to the imprisonment of women.{{cite news |last1=Alderson |first1=Reevel |title=New £75m women's prison scrapped, confirms Scottish minister |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30958609 |access-date=8 February 2021 |work=BBC News |date=2015-01-26}} The site remains fenced off and unused at the time of writing in January 2022.

File:Greenock high school - geograph.org.uk - 34347.jpg|Greenock High School in 2005

File:Former Greenock High School - geograph.org.uk - 1164116.jpg|Greenock High School awaits demolition in 2009

File:Former Greenock High School - geograph.org.uk - 1164103.jpg|Greenock High School awaits demolition in 2009

File:Inverclyde Academy Inverkip Road Campus - geograph.org.uk - 809856.jpg|Former Greenock High School building in 2008

File:Spango_Valley_from_Idzholm_Hill.jpg|Greenock High School and Glenburn School can be seen in this view

The valley floor south of Aileymill Gardens is now (April 2023) a brownfield site, extending approximately {{convert|1.3|mi|km|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} from end to end. The last of the former IBM buildings was demolished in March 2022. The remaining land is farmland, with some other housing on the northern fringes.

An amended proposal for a £100 million mixed-use development on the northern half of the former IBM site by a local company was approved by Inverclyde Council in March 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.inverclydenow.com/council-complete-u-turn-on-spango-valley-housing-limit/|title=Inverclyde Now web site}} The plans include houses, shops, leisure and community facilities.{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/18228210.easdale-brothers-plans-mixed-use-development-former-ibm-site-greenock-make-progress/|title=Herald newspaper}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst16875.html Spango Valley on The Gazetter for Scotland website]
• [http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/record/rcahms/70152/greenock-spango-valley-inverkip-road-ibm-greenock-plant/rcahms?item=684410 Spango Valley on the Scotland's Places website]
• [http://www.valleypark-greenock.co.uk Valleypark - official website]

Category:Valleys of Inverclyde