Plans for nearly 600 new homes in the centre of Scotland’s largest city have been given the green light.
Scottish architects Keppie Design, who submitted designs for Global Mutual, said Glasgow City Council “unanimously approved” the proposals for a “major new residential neighbourhood” to be developed in the Cowcaddens area.
As part of the project, Buchanan House will be deconstructed, with 94% of the existing building fabric recycled.
The proposal for 595 new homes, amenities and community space, with new landscaped gardens and public realm is called One Cowcaddens.
Glasgow-based Keppie, which dates from 1854 and is employee-owned, said: “The developer, Global Mutual, was commended at the committee meeting on their ‘textbook’ proposal, with councillors particularly pleased with their efforts to minimize the carbon footprints of the proposal, noting that this approach should be an exemplar for other developments in the city.”
The architects said the planning application is the culmination of a series of structured pre-application meetings and consultations, undertaken with the council over a 14-month period, to “develop the proposals and a vision for the site that aligns with the city’s ambitions”.
Keppie said: “The proposed mixed-use development will provide high quality public amenity including new south-west facing public realm and active street frontage, with local retail and café to better serve the need of the local community.
“This will form part of a civic scale ground floor and address the junction at Cowcaddens Road, whilst providing opportunity to spill out onto and interact with the public realm.
“Residents of the approximately 600 new sustainable homes will have access to a plethora of amenity including roof terraces and residents gardens, lounges, gym and wellness and private dining rooms.
“Residents’ amenity is strategically located to have uninterrupted south-facing views and direct access to green space. The highest amenity space is centrally located to create opportunity for elevated south facing panoramic views over the city.”
The proposal ranges in height from 7 to 21 storeys, creating a layered urban response and providing opportunity for the active roofscape on the south-facing amenity terraces.
Fronting onto Port Dundas Road, the development will enhance the public realm by providing ground floor commercial units “that activate the street”.
The public realm incorporates space for spill out from these commercial units, public seating, planting and pedestrian movement. The proposal has also considered the future context of the Cowcaddens Road Avenues Plus project.
This will see the pedestrianisation of a section of Port Dundas Road and the creation of a neighbourhood scale public space which includes an integrated active travel route, extensive planting and public seating.
Keppie said in the design statement: “The site acts as a key gateway at the north edge of the city centre, where there is a real opportunity to repair the fragmented urban fabric.
“The design team have analysed the scheme in terms of form, scale and massing to make best use of land in a highly accessible location, in line with the council’s aspiration to redensify the neighbourhood. The form of the proposals holds the street line to create a distinctive streetscape and active frontage to the street.”
The site lies immediately adjacent to what was once Buchanan Street Rail Station, originally constructed in 1849 by the Caledonian Railway Company as its main terminus for the city, and lasted until the 1930s.
The bronze Locomotion statue, designed by Frank Cossell, will be retained as a central feature within the new public realm as “a proud reminder of the site’s rich heritage”.
Oldest working Scots distillery unveils new chief
Scotland's oldest working distillery has unveiled a new managing director while revealing moves into the gin and luxury accommodation markets.
The Glenturret in Crieff has appointed Jen Baernreuther to lead the distillery as it prepares to celebrate its 261st anniversary next month. Ms Baernreuther, who joins from the Pernod Ricard-owned Speciality Drinks Group, owner of The Whisky Exchange, takes over on March 25.
Chilean financial giant buys stake in Scottish firm
A Chilean financial services giant has purchased a stake in a Scottish asset manager.
Aubrey Capital Management, the Edinburgh and London-based investment manager, and LarrainVial, one of Chile's largest financial services groups, said that, as part of the two firms’ wider partnership discussions, LVCC, part of the LarrainVial Group, has purchased a 25% stake in Aubrey.
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