November 1 2018

Glasgow City Council has thrown its weight behind a regeneration strategy for the historic High Street and Saltmarket corridor between the cathedral and the Clyde.

The High Street Area Strategy was approved following consultation with stakeholders, clearing the way for delivery of an enhanced public realm and a rent freeze for tenants, bringing the route into line with other roads in the City Avenues programme, overseen by Civic Engineers.

Councillor Angus Millar, Depute City Convener for Economic Growth at Glasgow City Council commented: “By doing more to promote the area’s rich heritage and support the local economy, we can help make the High Street area the vibrant, celebrated district of the city it deserves to be.  I look forward to working over the coming years with local residents, businesses and council partners in delivering the city’s ambitious plans for this important quarter of Glasgow.”

Running from 2019 to 2023 the initiative will include preservation of historic buildings as well as the creation of a ‘heritage trail’ and efforts to improve existing shopfronts, as well as bringing redundant units back into use.

 

26 Comments

#1 Posted by jungle boy on 1 Nov 2018 at 12:50 PM

What z concrete jungle. GCC chaps - try googling 'Woonerf' for starters...

#2 Posted by Charlie_ on 1 Nov 2018 at 12:54 PM

What does GCC have against trees?

#3 Posted by Island getaway on 1 Nov 2018 at 13:00 PM

I'm astounded by the number of people in this montage who have chosen to sit and chat on a traffic island. Not a place I tend to stop for a chat/ eat lunch.

#4 Posted by Robin Bs Discount Store on 1 Nov 2018 at 13:49 PM

Eh, what's the regeneration here? Some granite slabs, a couple of planters and a few cycle racks?

This Changes Everything! I need to move to this regenerated utopia!

#5 Posted by Darth Barras on 1 Nov 2018 at 13:58 PM

Glasgaewan Councilnobi... your lack of greenspace is disturbing me.

#6 Posted by Charlie_ on 1 Nov 2018 at 14:16 PM

Can't wait to stroll between all the eternally stalled development sites and surface car parks in the area on slightly nicer paving stones.

#7 Posted by Sir Ano on 1 Nov 2018 at 15:57 PM

what is this? I mean seriously what is this? what does this actually achieve?... the answer is nothing if you're wondering.

#8 Posted by Murdur Polis on 1 Nov 2018 at 16:02 PM

My God! - 86 pages of the bleedin' obvious and vacuous meaninglessness by a whole host of councillors, bureaucrats and technocrats all fronted by a 12yr. old replete with a boy band haircut. Excellent! What's not to like!

For (back to) the future (and it does look and 'feel' like a document from the 1970s - which just goes to show how far Tammany Hall has advanced politically), if you want to study and know how jolly well NOT to design a process for the procurement of the regeneration of two city streets then this is the very model of turgidity just for you - a veritable paradigm of what the municipal and a pseudo-collaborative process has to offer.

Still, what would you expect if, 'The vision for the High Street Area Strategy was guided by the existing national and local strategic framework.' - I counted no less than 25 planning strategy documents that were referred to. That's NOT a vision, that's a death sentence.

Indeed, all is dead here, save stupidity, low-flying vested interests and the roads department.

And to think I used to like Glasgow.

Just check it out for yourself:
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=43009&p=0

#9 Posted by Pablo on 1 Nov 2018 at 17:14 PM

My kingdom for a tree.

#10 Posted by Stephen on 1 Nov 2018 at 17:58 PM

The brochure says: 'The image is an illustration [sic] of potential intervention and not the final design'.

#11 Posted by monkey9000 on 1 Nov 2018 at 18:36 PM

I thought by it's very definition an Avenue required trees?

#12 Posted by Cadmonkey on 1 Nov 2018 at 18:56 PM

UR - Is it possible to get hold of a “before” image in order to stop all these moaners?

#13 Posted by tom manley on 1 Nov 2018 at 18:57 PM

... and meanwhile how about those elusive plans for covering up and greening over the M8 motorway infront of the Mitchell Library or making a new urban parkland space on the abandoned Govan graving docks... Glasgow needs to start thinking big again... parklets and paving slabs don't cut it...

#14 Posted by Tom on 1 Nov 2018 at 21:01 PM

Hahaha I thought it was the current photo you put there. So much change

#15 Posted by brian on 1 Nov 2018 at 21:47 PM

The train station should be reopened .I grew up in the area and watched its decline over 40yrs and shops close up up saltmarket and high street,Yes its only an artist impression ,could be better but im just glad the new admin at the council are actually listening to the small biz that's left.the last time I remember the cross busy was when the train station was open.

#16 Posted by theo saurus on 2 Nov 2018 at 08:24 AM

#15 train station....theres one a couple of hunderd yards along the street! weegies! can't walk the length of themselves.
personally think the proposals good news. slowly taking the streets back from the almighty car to the pedestrian. monthepedestos!

#17 Posted by John Glenday on 2 Nov 2018 at 08:34 AM

I've added a present view for reference

#18 Posted by Partick Bateman on 2 Nov 2018 at 09:07 AM

I know it's not the actual design but the one good idea in the picture is reclaiming pedestrian access to the clock tower. Having possibly the most historic building in the city used as a traffic island is stark, raving bonkers.

#19 Posted by Sgeezus on 2 Nov 2018 at 11:09 AM

I'd vote for re-opening High Street station in favor of demolishing Argyle Street station completely. It's disgusting, completely un-functional and too close to Central Station stop. Having stop at High Street would draw footfall to the area.

As for the before/after imagery - ironically there's more mould greenery on the current window parapet than in the future scheme alltogether. Reading this GCC report linked above is painful. What a waste of resources.

#20 Posted by Juice Terry on 2 Nov 2018 at 12:22 PM

#19 - totally agree.... Assuming you mean Glasgow X station rather than High Street....

#21 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 2 Nov 2018 at 12:22 PM

Designed with one thing in mind -- slow down traffic in the city centre generating more pollution and congestion.

Applaud the efforts to improve the High Street but the horse has bolted with the second rate stack a student dross currently in play and the Moxy that is in the finishing straight.

#22 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 2 Nov 2018 at 12:36 PM

The station idea gains legs if Crossrail becomes a reality and Glasgow Cross becomes an interchange station.

The hard bit would be the underground connections to keep the Argyle Street entrance in use.

#23 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 2 Nov 2018 at 13:15 PM

High Street document from GCC is a classic of its kind -- oxygen thieves producing hot air and little else.

It is framework this, strategy that with little in the way of a plan to take things forward as they look at the issues of the past rather than the opportunities of the now and the near future.

Base issues abound -- new or improved High Street station is an issue for the City Deal rather than Network Rail. No matter who takes the lead hopefully it will be a better upgrade than Dalmarnock where the money was spent on a new fancy roof rather than platform capacity.

Cheap wins now are better than fancy plans sometime in the dim and distant future.

#24 Posted by brian on 2 Nov 2018 at 18:12 PM

Dino saurus.yes its a huge city which Nedinburgh could fit into the outer circle:)
The cross I passed every year running marathons for charity.Like 23 says Great for hub station ,

#25 Posted by Islands of sanity on 4 Nov 2018 at 08:09 AM

The key phrase is overseen by city engineers. Concept plans need to be led by landscape architects, with engineering input and informed by sun track analysis. No point in wide pavements in perpetual shadow and yes, lots of scope for trees with all their benefits.

#26 Posted by SJF on 5 Nov 2018 at 01:08 AM

As previous comments have pointed out, the implementation of Crossrail and the opening of a interchange station at Glasgow Cross would surely see a huge increase of footfall, commercialisation and occupancy in the surrounding area.

That is why projects such as this (https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/6697/Glasgow_PRS_market_takes-off_with_600_Merchant_City_homes.html) need to be shelved and the project implemented asap, or route protected at the very least.

Even the flawed New Town plans know you have to have your transportation nodes in place to act as skeleton before you can start fleshing the structure out.

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