Welcome in 2016 with music, festive fun and a countdown to the bells at Strathbungo’s annual Hogmanay Street Party on Thursday 31st December.
Gather at the corner of Marywood Square and Moray Place from 11.45pm. See you there!
What is being proposed
The word charrette is French for “cart”. In the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the 19th century, it was not unusual for student architects to continue working furiously in teams at the end of the allotted term, up until a deadline, when a charrette would be wheeled among the students to pick up their scale models and other work for review while they, each working furiously to apply the finishing touches, were said to be working en charrette, in the cart. The term evolved into the current design-related usage in conjunction with working right up until a deadline and through support from the Scottish Government is now linked to intensive community planning events.
Pollokshields Community Council (PCC) have now obtained most of the funding needed to work with the community and stakeholders to produce a revised community based plan for east Pollokshields and surrounding areas. This includes part of Strathbungo, encompassing Nithsdale Rd, Street and Drive (see map). PCC are planning to hold an intensive event, the charrette, over four days at the end of February out of which a detailed set of proposals and designs will be produced.
The Strathbungo Society, which discussed this at its Committee meeting yesterday, sees this as a great opportunity to progress some proposals that have been circulating for some time, but never developed, as well as developing new ideas with residents. Past proposals have included re-design of the Nithsdale roundabout, landscaping of the Nithsdale Rd cul de sac and removal of litter bins from pavements and improving cycle lane connections.
The charrette is also important because what happens around Strathbungo affects the quality of life here. So it’s a chance to influence what goes on in East Pollokshields, which many Strathbungo residents visit regularly, if not daily – including the other side of the railway line along Moray Place! The charrette includes the area around Eglinton toll that lies between Strathbungo and the City Centre and has plenty of potential for improvement.
Pollokshields Community Council want to work with the community and stakeholders to complete the East Pollokshields and Port Eglinton Planning Study as a masterplan document that, as Supplementary Planning Guidance to the new City Development Plan, can help guide the next two decades of development in the area. The Strathbungo Society also see this as an opportunity to embed the Strathbungo Conservation area appraisal into planning documents. Glasgow City Council have agreed to support the proposal with officer time.
The Strathbungo Society will post more information about the charrette in the New Year including how to get involved.
Further explanation and detail provided by Pollokshields Community Council
The need for the study was previously outlined in Glasgow City Council’s City Plan 2 Part 2 – Development Strategy Priorities & Proposals: The Rest of the City: Areas Requiring Targeted Planning Action 8.23 East Pollokshields/Port Eglinton Planning Study. Preparatory work proceeded with the East Pollokshields/ Port Eglinton Planning Study – Resident Survey published in August 2008. The need for the Planning Study was agreed with officers as part of the autumn 2008 Public Local Inquiry into the draft City Plan 2 hence its inclusion in the final document. However, work on the study stalled thereafter. Reference was again made to the need for the East Pollokshields and Port Eglinton planning study in the Main Issues Report (re: Map 3 – the Spatial Planning Activity Framework, Other Studies, Item 34), but there was no reference in the draft City Development Plan published in Spring 2014. The PCC raised concerns with GCC as part of the LDP consultation process requesting that the area be included in the Local Development Framework for the Southside.
However, at a meeting in December 2014 with Nicola Sturgeon MSP, a representative for Anas Sarwar MP, and the three local Councillors, GCC Planning officers confirmed that financial pressures were such they would not be able to conclude the study for at least another decade i.e. 17 years after the need for the study was first highlighted. Recognising the reality of resourcing issues for GCC DRS producing it, the PCC is therefore seeking a community led charrette as a way to drive this forward in order to tackle the multiple deprivations from which the area suffers, and improve the lives and economic outcomes for the people who live in East Pollokshields.
The PCC believe a charrette to be the best forum in which to assemble the community and stakeholders in one place and rapidly work through the issues, draft out, agree and conclude the contents, aims and outcomes of the study
The PCC wants to complete the planning study and have it adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance by GCC DRS so the study must be couched in terms of the policies outlined in the proposed City Development Plan in particular Policy CDP 1 The Placemaking Principle. The planning study will also align with the aims of all relevant Scottish Government policies and principles for development, regeneration and community empowerment so that our neighbourhood achieves its full potential to be:
· distinctive;
· safe and pleasant;
· easy to move around and beyond;
· welcoming;
· adaptable; and
· resource efficient.
· economically vibrant
East Pollokshields is a planned tenemental suburb with a population of 8,206 located on the Southside of Glasgow approximately 2km from George Square. It is the most multi-cultural area in both Glasgow and Scotland with a BME population share of 52%. This figure is far higher than those for Glasgow at 11.6% and for Scotland at 4.0%. Between 2001 and 2013 East Pollokshields’ population rose by 16% – one the highest rates of increase in Glasgow. More than a quarter of households in East Pollokshields are overcrowded, 33% of children live in poverty, 93.5% of people live within 500m of vacant or derelict land while SIMD Data Zone: S01003256 – the north of East Pollokshields – has an SIMD 2012 rank of 195 out of 6505 data zones in Scotland. Centred on Albert Drive (a Tier 3 Town Centre in Glasgow)
East Pollokshields dates from 1848 becoming a conservation area in 1973. The Victorian tenements are now aging and difficult to heat. There are rubbish and recycling issues with numerous incidences of fly tipping. Neighbouring Port Eglinton; however, is a derelict industrial zone with large tracts of brownfield land that offer significant regeneration opportunities.
The charrette is currently programmed for the week commencing 21st February 2016.
Key issues the charrette will deal with:
The PCC strongly feel that the planning study is required to address several local issues including:
· Severance between East Pollokshields / Port Eglinton and Glasgow city centre
· An undersupply of Green and Amenity space within East Pollokshields
· Environmental Improvements such as upgraded public realm, reinstatement of
historic shop fronts of Albert Drive and improved maintenance of historic built
fabric as part of a potential Townscape Heritage scheme or Conservation Area
Regeneration Scheme
· Local concerns about stalled development spaces
· Contaminated land issues
· A strategy for Recreation space
· Refuse and Recycling issues + fire raising issues in tenement closes
· How to maximise the energy efficiency of aging built fabric so as to create
warm homes
· An examination of tenure and type with a focus on conditions in the private
rental sector
· Tailoring housing supply to the needs of large families
· Local health issues
· Local employment issues
· Generation of local power and CHP
· Transport Strategy including alternatives to inner city car use
· Retrofitting tenemental streets to meet Designing Streets, Homezone
standards and 20MPH zones
· The designation under the City Development Plan of sites H073 (60 Maxwell
Road with a lapsed planning consent for 261 housing units) and H081 (55
Maxwell Road with a lapsed consent for 200 units) and how these can comply
with Policy CDP 1 The Placemaking Principle and good urban design
· The setting aside under Policy CDP 11 Sustainable Transport land for an
interchange station at West Street that would link the high level lines and the
subway.
· The growing population in East Pollokshields and the needs of its unique
multicultural population – by far the most multicultural in Scotland.
Key Charrette outputs:
· Completion of the East Pollokshields and Port Eglinton Planning Study as
SPG to new City Development Plan.
· Establishment of Development Trust
· Environmental Improvements
· Promotion of alternate modes of transport
· Townscape Heritage scheme and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme
submissions
· Design proposals + codes for City Development Plan sites H073 and H081
· Cycle and pedestrian route to West Street subway station
· Specialist study on regeneration potential
A quick update on what is happening. Kevin Kane, Chair of The Strathbungo Society, wrote to Network Rail with a number of queries, and a request for a meeting.
Strathbungo Society letter to NR 021215
The following reply was received on 7 December. A date has not yet been set, but hopefully soon. We’ll keep you informed.
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for your email – yes I can confirm receipt of your previous correspondence. I have discussed this with colleagues on Friday and I will develop a response to the points raised.
It would be most helpful if you could confirm if you are my main point of contact? I have received correspondence from a number of different residents on this matter and to progress discussions I think it would be beneficial if there was one central point of contact for the Strathbungo Society. We will of course respond to all queries raised however one point of contact representing the Strathbungo Society would be most helpful.
In relation to the proposed meeting – which we are of course happy to attend –we feel that this should be focused on Moray Place and ensure a resolution on this matter before reviewing Darnley Road.
If you would like to discuss any of these points further please let me know – happy to chat on the phone or over email. As you will appreciate we are very keen to find an appropriate solution to this fencing.
Kind regards,
Niamh
Niamh Hegarty | Senior Public Affairs Manager Scotland (acting) | 07739 786754
The forthcoming Strathbungo Society monthly meeting on 15 December 2015 will be an informal, social meeting and will take place at 7.30pm in the ‘Den’ at The Bungo, Nithsdale Road. All are welcome for a wee pre-Christmas prandial.
The agenda items are (i) prep for Bungo at the Bells, and (ii) ideas for news items in the forthcoming Strathbungo News to be published in the early New Year and we can hopefully deal with them quickly to allow folks to meet and talk.
The next formal Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 January 2016; this will take place in the basement of the Bungo as will most of the subsequent meetings in 2016 and will review the main actions from our November meeting.
Weans in the Lanes is back for its pre-Christmas outing this Sunday 6th December from 10am-12pm. Three lanes are taking part this month, look out for bunting and signs to let you know which ones.
A break in the never-ending rain is forecast for Sunday, so come out and enjoy some winter air with friends and neighbours.
The first meeting of the new committee of the Strathbungo Society briefly discussed this initiative, to set up a cycling forum, and have agreed to send reps – the community council is very keen to work with us on this. A small group from the committee met last night and are going to work up some ideas for consideration in Strathbungo. More news soon but anyone who wants to be involved do contact me.
The Invite
At the recent Cycling Celebration Day more than 350 people came along to support the opening of South-West City Way a dedicated traffic-free cycleway from Pollokshields to the City Centre. Following that event many local residents expressed interest in a community-based organisation to encourage more Pollokshields people to cycle for leisure and exercise.
Many people expressed an interest in this idea and, in response, the Pollokshields Community Council are inviting you to help establish – Pollokshields Community Cycling Forum – an independent community group to create an environment that supports people of all ages and abilities to travel by bicycle. Based on experience elsewhere cycle friendly communities may offer cycle parking, bike hire or bike loan schemes, cycle training and a range of information on local cycle networks. It will have defined cycle routes and infrastructure linking popular locations. Local businesses should support and encourage an increased cycling culture.
The Community Council, in cooperation with SoulRiders will hold the inaugural meeting on Monday, 7th December at 7pm. Venue: SoulRiders 171 Maxwell Rd G41 (entrance in Forth St)
Agenda
Short presentation on similar organisations around Glasgow
Qualifying for Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly Community Award
Discussion
Election of Steering Group
Please RSVP to PollokshieldsCycleForum@yahoo.co.uk to confirm your attendance.
(The monthly meeting of Pollokshields Community Council will be incorporated in this event)
QP Christmas Market, Saturday 5th December 2015. 11am – 4pm. Back for it’s 4th year, the popular Queen’s Park Baptist Church Christmas Market has something for everyone! Over 60 stalls: crafts, toys, unique gifts, books, home baking, Christmas Hampers, Santa’s Grotto, Family Zone, Live music and much more. Christmas Market Cafes will also be serving lunches, teas and coffees. All proceeds will go to Glasgow City Mission.
Adults £1, Kids go Free
We look forward to seeing you!
www.qpbc.org
#qpchristmasmarket
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