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Buchanan Galleries expansion secures outline planning permission

April 23 2013

Buchanan Galleries expansion secures outline planning permission
A £300m expansion of Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries shopping centre has been approved in principle by Glasgow City Council, clearing the way for detailed designs to be drawn up by BDP for 500,000sq/ft of additional retail space, 15 new restaurants and a Vue Cinema.

This would more than double floor pace at the existing mall, which is set for significant disruption as a gargantuan 2,000 space car park, built just 14 years ago, is demolished to accommodate the new space with 1,700 replacement parking spaces stacked to the east of Queen Street Station.

Existing shops will also be given a makeover and awkward foibles of the existing centre resolved, such as a lack of direct pedestrian access from Buchanan Street to the bus station, an ignored Cathedral Street and the dank first impression presented to rail travellers at Dundas Street

Centre owners Land Securities and Henderson Global Investors only progressed the scheme on condition of a controversial £80m Tax Incremental Financing scheme, approved by the Scottish Government in October.

Chris Pyne, director of shopping centres at Henderson Global Investors, added: "We are confident that the plans which have been developed will create a first class retail and leisure destination for the City that will encourage further investment from national and international brands alike."

8 Comments

wonky
#1 Posted by wonky on 23 Apr 2013 at 19:31 PM
This will herald the death knell for Ingram, Union, Argyle and Sauchiehall Street as well as the Trongate as we know them- wonderful news for Messrs Mathieson and co.
15 'qwali-tay' restaurants? That will help authentic independent restauranteurs in these harsh economic climes- its always great to get backing from the local city visoneers...I mean all those homogenised corporate conglomerates like Pizza Hut, Frankie & Benny's and Burger King need all the help they can get!
Its great to see the car central to this vision as well- very far sighted of the planners- we really need to keep the car centred shopaholics from spam valley onside. Overalll I'm glad to see 80m of Glasgow council money going into this venture- it begs the question: can't we just demolish the rest of the old-fashioned Victorian city centre and transformed it into a glittering modern shopping mall? Oh wait...
Brian
#2 Posted by Brian on 23 Apr 2013 at 21:08 PM
I agree this will damage other areas in city that need support right now.
Neil C
#3 Posted by Neil C on 24 Apr 2013 at 12:36 PM
This will be an absolute catastrophe for Glasgow. The worst thing planners could possibly impose on us is an even bigger (taxpayer-funded) mall sucking the last remaining life from the city's Victorian shopping streets. We might as well board up every retail unit on Hope/High/Argyle/Oswald/Bath/Union Street and knock down Trongate. In fact, why not ban pedestrians from venturing off Buchanan Street altogether?

This will be as big a disaster for the city as the concrete desecration inflicted on us during the 1960s and 70s. And nobody in a position of responsibility seems to care.
Robert
#4 Posted by Robert on 25 Apr 2013 at 08:44 AM
As Neil has said, we will regret this. A lovely city centre destroyed by commission and ignorance, rejoice!
Juicy
#5 Posted by Juicy on 26 Apr 2013 at 10:36 AM
GCC - absolute idiots. Morons. Muppets.
alibi
#6 Posted by alibi on 28 Apr 2013 at 11:03 AM
the planners are secondary here, this is a politicians decision first and foremost. and the politicians can't see past immediate investment and shiny buildings that people seem to be attracted to. wider implications don't get a look in.
Partick Bateman
#7 Posted by Partick Bateman on 29 Apr 2013 at 09:57 AM
People like shopping centres. Unfortunately.
wayneb
#8 Posted by wayneb on 10 May 2013 at 22:04 PM
As stated elsewhere here, another move by City Council that will contribute to killing city centre businesses. It is unfortunate that Glasgow continues to go this route... Architecturally it has some absolute gems; but the vision for the city is so short sighted that it is unbelievable.

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