Author: Fiona MacKinnon

The planning application to create a rear door for Sammy Dow’s,  change the frontage and knock a new entrance gate through the boundary wall, has been given the green light by both planning officers and the Planning Committee.  The window planned for the back has thankfully been dropped.

It has been a monumentally long wait – since April – but it was decided by councillors of the Planning Committee to grant the application on the 19^th of August.

Prior to this, nobody on the planning team would even confirm whether it would go to committee. Then when it was recommended by planners and passed to the committee, none of the many objectors was informed of the date and time. This means that Strathbungo residents were denied the chance to go to witness the process. This is despite many requests to the department for notification of the date.

The Planning Portal on Glasgow City Council’s website still lists it as “pending decision” which is an unacceptable delay in letting people know about an important planning application.  I only got access to the report which gives the details yesterday, the 8th of September.

The good news is the fact that councillors seem to have understood and shared our concern that this was really a new entrance/exit to the pub and that the deck was intended as a place for people to smoke. Therefore a stringent condition was attached, by councillors, to the permission :

“For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of clarity the fire exit to the rear shall be used as a fire exit only and a break glass system used at all times hereafter and shall not be used for any other purpose, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Planning Authority”

This clause means unless there is a fire in the building (which we would sincerely hope there never is) the door at the back of the pub should never be open. If it ever is, we must report it to the Planning Department immediately.

Although there will be disappointment at the fact the plan has been granted approval, this condition is the result of strong co-ordinated objection from residents. It proves it’s worth the cost of a stamp or the click of a ‘send’ button.

I would like to thank everyone who lives in the area who helped with the objections.  Thank you must also go to our MSP Nicola Sturgeon, Cllr MacLeod, Cllr Meikle and Cllr Raja who made their views known and supported residents.

You can read the report and judgment by following the links below.

Sammy Dow Planning Report

Sammy Dow Planning Judgement

If you want to object to the Spirit Pub Company creating a new way in and out of Sammy Dow’s, a new gate into the lanes, a raised outside deck and a large new window looking out over the back of Nithsdale Road, Moray Place and Regent Park Square , you need to do it soon…

The last date for objections to be in is Friday the 25th of April 2014 – unless you got a letter from the council about the application, in which case it is the 29th of April 2014.

The proposed deck and stairs leading to a new door into the back of the pub, will create noise and disturbance for anyone in the first block of Moray Place, the homes at the end of Regent Park Square and the homes nearby in Nithsdale Road.  The music will be much louder with open doors and windows…   It is also likely that footfall will increase in the lanes across much of Strathbungo, as people take shortcuts to and from this new entrance and exit.

It’s vital that as many people as possible object to the plans so, if you would like some ideas and pointers, please download the document below.  Feel free to adapt, add, subtract and personalise it.

SDowPlanningObjection2014

You can see the application on the city council website – link below.

 https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=N31SUAEX0WY00

Objections can be done via the council website if you create a login or you can simply email the planning department.

planning.representations@drs.glasgow.gov.uk

Last year many Bungo residents were relieved to hear that The Spirit Pub Company of Burton on Trent were refused planning permission to create an outdoor deck at the back of the building for smoking and drinking and to give access to the rear court and side lane.  They were also refused permission and Listed Building Consent to change the frontage of the Sammy Dow.

Families living within meters of the pub were understandably very worried about the impact of people being on a raised deck, smoking, drinking and creating noise so close to bedrooms.

The company, which controls 750 pubs across the UK, has now put in another very similar application.

The deck is still in the plan but smaller.  It is now being described as a fire escape.  The worry is that the glass door out will be opened all the time by customers using it as an alternative entrance and exit and that people will stand on this deck to smoke.  This will be a noise nuisance in it’s own right, but the noise from the venue will also be much louder if there is an open door.

New access to the lane is still to be created by removing part of the wall.  They also want to create a large rear window which will look straight into the back of properties on Regent Park Square and Moray Place.  It will also leak noise.  Existing windows on the Moray Place side (which are currently filled with glass bricks) are to be clear glass causing an issue with overlooking and again with noise leak.

There is renewed concern that this new application for an exit at the back of the property will still cause the leaking of noise, will constantly be opened by customers to smoke outside and will cause a huge increase in footfall in the lane as people come and go all day and night at the private side of our houses.

There is nothing in the plans which would prevent these uses for the new deck, stairs and access gate.  It is puzzling that something as basic and workaday as a fire escape (which we all would hope is never needed except in an emergency) is being created in costly materials like glass balustrading and has features like a privacy screen which would surely be redundant.

The date by which you must lodge any objection is Tuesday the 29th of April – so if you want to object please do it as soon as possible.

I intend to share more ideas and information on the relevant grounds for objecting as soon as possible so keep checking the Bungo Blog.

Details of plans are available by clicking the link below.

 https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=N31SUAEX0WY00

You still have time before Friday the 28^th, to put in an objection to the plans by Spirit Pub Group to create a drinking and smoking area in the back garden of the tenement at 69 Nithsdale Road.  They also want to completely change the frontage of this B-Listed building, losing traditional features and adding ugly metal roller shutters.

The intrusion of people on a 2 meter high deck looking into the homes and gardens of residents in Nithsdale Road, Regent Park Square and Moray Place is unacceptable.  There will also be the noise and disturbance on the traditionally quiet side of residential homes – year round.

You can see the plans by visiting the Glasgow City Council Online Planning website :

https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=MIKK52EX0FZ00

If you would like some pointers on issues that the planners will consider to be ‘material’ or relevant have a look at this document :

FinalPlanObjectSamDow

Send your objection via email to the Planning Department at :

planning.representations@drs.glasgow.gov.uk

It is important that people in Strathbungo make their feelings about this development proposal clear.  If one business gets permission then others could follow and the residential amenity, which makes this a great place to live and bring up a family, will be lost.  The proposal for a hostel in Marywood Square was thankfully rejected and community objections were an important part of that process so please take a moment to respond to this equally disruptive plan.