August 27 2020

Glasgow City Council has agreed to lease land from the Glasgow School of Art to facilitate delivery of the Underline public realm improvements between St George's Cross and Cowcaddens.

524sq/m of land at the former Stow College will be made available on a 25-year lease at a peppercorn rent for a new pedestrian avenue bisecting the M8 - complementing ongoing improvements to the Cambridge Street and Sauchiehall Street corridors.

Council leader Susan Aitken said: “A core benefit of the Avenues programme is how it will improve connections across the city centre, with the Underline transforming how people can travel to and from the city centre and the West End. This is the next step in the delivery of the Underline, which will create a far more attractive environment for everyone who uses this route or lives, studies or works on it.”

GSA director Penny Macbeth added: “Connectivity and sustainability are now widely recognised as central to making cities vibrant and attractive places in which to live, work and study. It is incredibly important for the GSA to be able to work in partnership with Glasgow City Council, helping deliver their strategies and realise some of their major projects which benefit the whole city. We are delighted to be able to work together on the Underline.”

Work on the new pedestrian and cycle link is expected to get underway in January 2022 for completion by summer of the following year.

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Findo Gask on 28 Aug 2020 at 09:20 AM

Credit to Glasgow School of Art for supporting this initiative with Glasgow City Council. The more we can improve walking and cycling infrastructure the better, and it will be a distinct improvement on that ugly derelict car park on the Stow college site. Can we also increase provision of secure cycle storage that's sheltered from the elements? Good for the students, too, to cycle into lectures, unless that all happens on their phones these days.

#2 Posted by Parkguy on 28 Aug 2020 at 13:25 PM

This is great to link the West End with the city centre.

I'm intrigued how it will safely cross New City Road and the feeder roads onto the M8. Underpass? Are there more detailed plans anywhere?

#3 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 28 Aug 2020 at 14:31 PM

#2 there is an existing underpass running north/south under the M8 beside New City Road.

#4 Posted by James Hepburn on 28 Aug 2020 at 18:50 PM

No doubt an agreement like this will help any action against GSA Board members for the two horrendous fires and their criminal liability disappear. Old Muriel two fires Gray will sleep better at night.

#5 Posted by GlasgowSmilesBetter on 31 Aug 2020 at 13:04 PM

Lets hope all materials used are fire retardant.. and they select their pet contractor safely ….

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