Category: Planning (Page 5 of 6)

A planning application has been submitted for the former Global Video site on the corner of Pollokshaws Road and Titwood Road but this time it actually looks pretty good.

In the past the Society has objected to numerous development plans which mainly involved building high-rise blocks of flats on the site.

The new plans keep the exterior and height of the building fairly unchanged and, as the building has been empty for some time, it would be great to see a thriving business there. Have a look at the plans and let us know what you think.

Residents up the road in Pollokshields are preparing to march into planning battle for the fourth time over the same issue. What’s the campaign? A planning application to install a telephone mast and transmission disc on a building most Bungoans will see every day – the former church and current nursing home/nursery on the corner of Shields and Nithsdale Rd.

You can find out more on the history of George Rowan’s 1878 building here

With Doors Open Day around the corner and architectural heritage on everyone’s minds, the campaign are hoping to encourage people to join their fight by signing this letter: Church_Tower_Mast.

Currently the text for the Shawlands Town Centre Action Plan is at its final stages and a draft document should be published later in October alongside a series of events to discuss and shape the final document. As it’s almost impossible to live in Strathbungo and not use the amenities in Shawlands, the plans will affect all of us and many local residents will have been involved on some level with the consultation. So where has all that consulting gone?

The Council have been trying to build up an extremely detailed picture of the issues affecting the centre and to this end have commissioned various pieces of research: –

• An independent Shawlands Retail Study (completed December 2010)
• The Shawlands Customer Survey (available online and published by DRS in April 10)  http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E1341505-CD2D-47B9-9FA3-38FE42A8DB63/0/customersurveyreportapril2010.pdf
• Shawlands Town Centre Health Check – C ompleted by DRS in April 10
• Shawlands Business Survey – Completed March 2011

It has contributed resources to:-

• Setting up the Shawlands Business Association launched on 31 March 2011 (see Google – Shawlands Business Association+ Facebook)
• Developing the Shawlands School Gate Project as a catalyst for bringing Shawlands Academy , community, businesses and young learners together  see www.smarterplaces.org
• Securing new ‘café lighting for Skirving St’ (to be installed October)
• Supporting the MARL Arts Project at the Shed and Southside Festival
• Developing a vintage fair at The Shed (see below for the next event!)
• Developing the ‘One Small Thing’ Initiative with SBA  http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/features/editor-s-picks/community-bid-to-put-the-heart-back-into-shawlands-1.1114215

In addition, the Council:-

• Provided planning support for repainting of the Granary frontage last year
• Encouraged the owners of the Shawlands Arcade, AWG to introduce a Friday market and car park improvements.
• Supported the installation of CCTV Security Cameras within the town centre
• Proposed with GHA, a new, 900 home, family orientated urban village in Pollokshaws adjacent to Shawlands Town Centre , see http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/CustomerInvolvement/Corporate/YourOpinion/pollokshawslocaldevelomentstrategy.htm

The Draft Action Plan is very much about bringing people together, businesses working together to help build Shawlands as a destination, businesses working with customers to understand what they want and build loyalty.

It is about the Council, public sector partners, residents, customers and businesses working together to develop new ideas and reasons for people to visit Shawlands Town Centre. It is also about developing a programme for addressing a range of quite specific problems like crossing the road more easily, connecting to the park, improving the appearance and use of specific buildings and spaces.

It is about trying “Re-establishing Shawlands as, the Heart of the Southside”, by balancing the needs of place, people, businesses and sustainable living!

To find out more, the man to contact is:

David Dunlop

Senior Planner

Planning Neighbourhoods

DRS

Glasgow City Council

0141 287 6097

I’ve had a flurry of e-mails lately from the people behind developing the future of Glasgow in general and the Southside in particular. As you may know, development policy and planning decisions in Glasgow are currently guided by the Glasgow City Plan (City Plan 2). At the end of next year, this is due to be replaced by a new document entitled the ‘Local Development Plan’ for Glasgow.

The LDP will include:-

• A range of specific overarching policies about the future direction of the city
• Specific policies and guidelines for Glasgow’s Southside and Town Centres.

As part of the process, the Council have just published a Main Issues Report (MIR) and will be consulting on this till the 12^th December. Everyone is welcome to consider the MIR and provide the Council with their observations via the link below.

_{http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Business/CityPlan3/}

Nearly ten years ago, the Strathbungo Society was awarded a grant from ENTRUST which was originally destined for revision of part of the back lanes.

The cost of relaying even a small part of the lanes in a conservation area proved prohibitive, and we were faced with either using the money or having to give it back. The criteria were stringent, and the two options of a piece of equipment for the Balvicar Street playpark, or donating to the Queens Park Arena project were voted on by you at Bungo in the Back Lanes and the AGM in October. Following this, we offered around £20000 to the Queens Park Arena, which will restore bandstand and seating to it’s former glory. The winning design is shown.

Planning has now been approved, and work should begin this year on the £230000 first phase of the project – and the Strathbungo Society is acknowledged alongside Glasgow City Council through the local area committees and the Scottish Government as a major contributor.

Find out more from the Queens Park Arena website: www.queensparkarenadesigncompetition.co.uk/

An interesting wee article in the Evening Times today about the possible opening by the end of the year of a Sainsbury’s on Darnley Road on the site of the old petrol station. The size of the space and the planning application indicate it will be a similar size to the unit they recently opened on Victoria Road (on the former Hoey’s site).

Work has not yet started but several of the local shopkeepers, particularly those running convenience stores and newsagents, have expressed concern about the potential impact on the local independent shops and Pollokshields’ villagey feel. What do you think? Is anything an improvement on a derelict site? Would you shop there in preference to the smaller shops? Or do you think it will add to the area and encourage you to shop more locally instead of driving to a bigger supermarket at Silverburn or Braehead?

Residents on Nithsdale Rd recently received notice of plans to renovate the old Fotheringay pub which has been empty for two years. The people behind the proposed £110K refit own two successful restaurants in the West End – Left Bank on Gibson St and Two Figs on Byres Road.

I popped into the Council offices to look at the plans today. The changes being proposed would lead to a similar appearance to that of Left Bank. They’ll be reorganising the interior, opening up ‘windows’ between rooms and exposing some of the cornicing. The plans also indicate that they’d like to paint the front facing grey and install a huge sliding window on about half the front elevation. Finally, as it’s a food-focused venue, they’re hoping to get consent for installing a flue at the back of the building and up the tenement block.

We’ve contacted the design company and asked if a representative would like to come along to Monday’s meeting to chat about the proposals. If you’d like to find out more about the plans, do come along – 7.30pm, Monday 18th April at Grianach on Nithsdale Rd. You can also look at the plans before the meeting at the Council offices at 229 George St 9-5pm on Monday ref: 11/00378/DC.

Finally, and to avoid confusion, one of the names used by the company on the application is The Bungo Ltd but they are in no way connected with the Society or Bungo events!

The Save Pollok Park campaign was in full swing when the latest newsletter went to press but we’re hoping to keep the blog up to date with news. If you want to find out more about the issues please read the Save Pollok Park PDF which was presented at a meeting at Pollokshields Burgh Hall earlier this month.

The current aim of the campaigners is to have the Scottish Ministers grant a “call-in” and this can only be done if the group can demonstrate that the application was not properly dealt with by the Council and new issues have arisen. Save Pollok Park PDF

Save Pollok Park
Go Ape
The Planning Proposal

Following this morning’s site visit to the North Wood and the hearing in the City Chambers, the Planning Applications Committee voted 14-6 to grant the Go Ape planning application.

The application will now, however, be referred to Scottish Government ministers for approval, as the council has a financial interest in the application.