November 19 2021

Peel Land and Property has signed a non-binding agreement with Therme Group to bring a well-being destination to the banks of the River Clyde at Glasgow Waters.

Replacing plans for a lifestyle outlet the 320,000sq/ft complex would rise at the confluence with the River Kelvin on a 21.5-acre brownfield site opposite the Transport Museum.

The £100m leisure attraction would host an indoor water park, thermal pools and a spa as well as an on-site vertical farm and botanical gardens to provide fresh produce.

James Whittaker, Peel L&P executive director of development said “This important facility on the Clydeside, adjacent to Peel L&P’s existing and proposed developments, will benefit the whole region as well as attract visitors from further afield to come and enjoy Glasgow.

"Peel L&P’s vision for Glasgow Waters is to develop the waterfront as a key retail, leisure and tourism destination on the Clyde, which will complement, support and revive the surrounding area.”

A formal planning application is expected sometime next year. 

34 Comments

#1 Posted by modernish on 19 Nov 2021 at 10:06 AM

Basically an update of the Timecapsule in Coatbridge with an onsite Greggs and greengrocer.
Good to see the COP26 lessons have really sunk in. Massive heated greenhouse and huge bodies of water to warm up. Nonsense

#2 Posted by MV on 19 Nov 2021 at 10:29 AM

I absolutely love this. Glasgow humour at its absolute best. I'll see your COP 26 and raise it with billions of litres of hot water, inside a giant glass house, on the river Clyde. Carbon Net Zero that, Glasgow Council and the Scottish government.

#3 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 19 Nov 2021 at 10:46 AM

You've got to admire their chutzpah.

As comments above have stated, it's going to be tricky to sustainably heat that lot. A heat pump drawing heat from the Clyde would mean winter river-skating would make a comeback!

#4 Posted by Jimbob Tanktop on 19 Nov 2021 at 14:05 PM

That's surely just a placeholder design? Nobody would seriously submit a giant glass shed the week after COP26, would they?

#5 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Nov 2021 at 14:19 PM

The oulet spend has been lost / shame -- Livingston breathes a sigh of relief and all bargain hunter roads lead to West Lothian.

Big loss / miss for Glesga PLC.

Although Peel's effort at outlets have been very poor so it might be an open goal that they would have missed anyway.

Still the health greenhouse vibe is better than nothing -- just and no more -- but still better than a gap site.

Now for SECC West and its hobbit sanctuary spec new exhibition hall.

#6 Posted by Neil C on 19 Nov 2021 at 14:28 PM

I'm old enough to remember back in 2003 the promises that this site would soon host a supercasino, nightclub, cinema et al. The residents of Glasgow Harbour - and Partick in general - deserved much more than two decades of wasteland and speculative planning applications, with varying degrees of plausibility.

#7 Posted by Spike on 19 Nov 2021 at 16:51 PM

I wonder how long this development will last if built, perhaps 20 years before being replaced with another substandard design. What a waste of resources, come on let's build something useful here which will stand the test of time.

#8 Posted by Havering Harry on 19 Nov 2021 at 17:04 PM

The transport museum is one of the most visited attractions in Scotland, whatever goes on that site stands to potentially get a phenomenal amount of passing traffic, so whatever goes there needs to be good.

These Therme waters parks look interesting, they have swim-up bars so people can relax in the pool and get bevvied. Glaswegians will love it, it will probably prove too popular and will be hard to get in.

#9 Posted by Georwell 84 on 19 Nov 2021 at 17:39 PM

Think there is one twice the size in Manchester.

#10 Posted by Wendy on 19 Nov 2021 at 20:38 PM

With the proposed bridge connecting across to Govan, this attraction will soon be overrun with ruffians, neds and aggressive dogs.

Best keep it as wasteground.

#11 Posted by The Great Escapee on 20 Nov 2021 at 02:02 AM

Good job there are no pigeons or seagulls flying over those lovely clean glass roofs.... oh wait...

#12 Posted by Martin on 20 Nov 2021 at 22:02 PM

As to how all that water is heated, apparently the one in Bucharest uses a 3100-metre deep geothermal heat pump. Not sure if that's the plan in Glasgow, or if it would even work here.

#13 Posted by Cateran on 20 Nov 2021 at 23:16 PM

Before it goes any further, can they just ditch the appalling 'Glasgow Waters' name. It's embarrassingly pretentious and sounds like something in Surrey.

#14 Posted by Roddy_ on 22 Nov 2021 at 02:31 AM

Yet another monolithic island development that will sterilise the adjacent streets, increase severance and give the council more reasons to keep the expressway in its current form. If this passes muster as a piece of placemaking (design and access statement should be amusing to read) then we’ll have learnt nothing from the 40 year incremental disaster of the SEC complex and Pacific Quay.
Yorkhill Quay and Custom House quay will follow suit with their respective unalloyed commodification of the riverfront. One really wonders what City Design is up to these days…

#15 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 22 Nov 2021 at 06:32 AM

#6
Some see a wasteland, others see a naturally rewilded riverside parkland full of rare urban wildlife...

The best thing that can happen for as long as possible is nothing.

#16 Posted by Ghetto King on 22 Nov 2021 at 09:27 AM

In a world where the St. Enoch's Centre's bigger brother took steroids but this time you get to wear your speedos.
If there was ever a time for Glasgow to shine after COP26 and stand up and say Let's build a green sustainable district but you know what this is Glasgow. What were you expecting?

#17 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 22 Nov 2021 at 10:04 AM

Loving the hyper trendy / middle class do nothing chat about the riverside -- aye right.

That's what we need to take the city forward -- another patch of weeds with 47 different varieties of jaggies to keep the plebs away from the water.

Too many learn nothing from the past and learn nothing from what is being built right in front of them.

Clyde Street -- imperfect though it is -- shows the way forward towards an active riverfront for everyone not suburban graffiti artists and skateboarders.

Too many forget that the Clydeside Expressway makes Finnieston possible because it took / takes traffic away from Argyle Street.

The Traffic 1800 crew forget that horses were big units and not in the least pedestrian friendly.

As for the Bronskis of the Anti Destination League -- the less said about them the better as they live their lives in a back bedroom server farm rather than in the fresh air that would do them a power of good.

#18 Posted by heidfirst on 22 Nov 2021 at 10:37 AM

Whilst this imo (& I live locally) is better than the original plan I go along with Gandalf the Pink. People might be surprised how much better for biodiversity some of these gap sites/stalled spaces etc. are than some parks or greenbelt.
A recent survey said that the no.1 thing that people wanted in urban development was more greenspace yet Glasgow continues to infill/replace many pockets. Various bodies (Natural England, US EPA & European equivalent) all suggest that being within 3-500m of a greenspace is beneficial to human health.

#19 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 22 Nov 2021 at 11:23 AM

New green space in Glasgow -- look out for all the ghost streets that pollute too much of the city.

Social housing in the form of three storey tenements that eventually the council couldn't give away now taken over by rough grass / crisp pokes / dogs of a libertarian persuasion.

We have far too much greenspace in Glasgow at the moment so new developments should be welcomed -- the other-side of this "desertification" of the city is the huge amount of low quality farmland now being turned into "executive" housing for plumbers and nurses.

I blame the Daily Mail aka the Forger's Gazette.

As for the owners of speedos -- surely it is better for the environment that they strut their stuff locally rather than Ibiza?

#20 Posted by heidfirst on 22 Nov 2021 at 13:57 PM

Not saying "No" to all development, especially on brownfield, but the right development in the right space & that includes greenspace. Glasgow has too many developments that are uninspiring & obviously designed to minimise cost/maximise profit above all else. & that includes much of the existing riverside developments. The river bank is a natural for a green network providing walkway/ cycle path etc. & connecting/providing habitats with development set back from that.

#21 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 22 Nov 2021 at 16:22 PM

FBOT, is he for real or just a troll?! Too much green space? What a ridiculous statement clearly made by someone with very little understanding of Glasgow and the wider environment. Aye, too much green space is a common complaint from those who don't get out much...

A river confluence in a city is a rare and perfect space for an urban reserve. The site already hosts otters, seals, a host of invertebrates, amphibians and excellent bird life. It is a hugely important link in the few wildlife corridors left in the city.

Remove your bottom from the couch, jump the dodgy blue barrier and explore the site. What you will find is a wonderful site full of life.

#22 Posted by Appleton on 22 Nov 2021 at 17:16 PM

It is not filling gap sites like this one that is the most damaging to the environment, it is paving over vast swathes of farmland on the outskirts of cities to build expensive low-quality shoe-box houses.

#23 Posted by heidfirst on 22 Nov 2021 at 17:50 PM

depends upon the farmland - I will take a biodiverse brownfield site over an intensive monoculture farm anyday. We need both biodiversity & farming though so as always it is about balance.

#24 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 22 Nov 2021 at 17:56 PM

Ignorance of Glasgow resides in those that never see the ghost streets and the industrial dereliction of the city that once was.

All they are interested in is their own personal bank balance as they wend their way from middle class non job towards professional subsidy junky -- all the while talking to themselves.

Sammy the seal will not be put off living the inner city life by the sight of a few budgie smugglers preening themselves as their peanut equivalents walk by.

It might just be a posh Time Capsule but at least it will be a local posh Time Capsule.

#25 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 22 Nov 2021 at 18:14 PM

Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but lets just remember FBOT's 'we have far too much green space in Glasgow'. Spoken like a person who clearly doesn't know a hoot what they're talking about.

#26 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 22 Nov 2021 at 20:12 PM

Ghost Streets of Glasgow ...
Where to start?

Possil Park -- Bonhill Street / Ellesmere Street / Hamilton Road.

Cowlairs -- Byshot Street / Killearn Street.

Easterhouse -- Auchingill Road / Lochend Road / Freuchie Street / too many to mention.

Drumchapel -- Drummore Road / Kilfauns Drive ...

Milton -- Scalpay Street / Shapinsay Street.

Green deserts devoid of any life -- but never mind lets re-wild an old shipyard and pretend everything is OK.

#27 Posted by heidfirst on 23 Nov 2021 at 09:59 AM

Well, the likes of Hamiltonhill are going to be redevloped. I can guarantee though that once they are replaced by housing the previous greenspace will be missed by those that knew it. You may not see/recognise life but it is there.

#28 Posted by Alan on 23 Nov 2021 at 11:09 AM

Really think that this area of land would suit a shared stadium between Glasgow Warriorw and Partick Thistle.

#29 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 23 Nov 2021 at 11:47 AM

FBOT, your lack of familiarity with this site continues...

The land has already rewilded, it doesn't need any work.

The real sad thing is, just across the river from the COP venue, we're going to lose one of the best pieces of habitiat in Glasgow. Exactly the type of site GCC should be trying to preserve.

#30 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 23 Nov 2021 at 11:50 AM

Given the state of the Glasgow Harbour project -- I think the developers would be open to offers.

The barrel scraping for ideas at the tunnel end is a stain on the city's efforts to move forward.

My money is on a new Shoprite and a bucket level carwash -- land-banking in all its glory.

#31 Posted by modernish on 23 Nov 2021 at 11:55 AM

Forget the timecapsule reboot and stick a Small Modular Reactor on there. Generate clean energy where it's used. Let's remember that COP26 was actually about saving the planet rather than taking selfies with POTUS et al.
If it's helpful plant a healthy dose of landscape around the thing to keep otters and locals alike happy.

#32 Posted by Peter on 23 Nov 2021 at 13:44 PM

#28 Alan, this site is too prominent to waste it to entertain 500 interested parties. As interests of 'pleb' are over-represented enough in Glasgow, I'd love to see scheme addressed to other members of society there. Some resemblance of Hamburg's Hafen City - bars, restaurants, mid-up market housing, a proper city quarter designed with taste (for a difference). Enough with being hostaged by neds and 'ever-do-wells.

#33 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 23 Nov 2021 at 18:26 PM

I've heard it all now ...

Egg chasers / Kingsley and the Jags are now the plebs in the mind of Glesga's architectural elite.

Some mistake surely?

#34 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 24 Nov 2021 at 08:48 AM

Hafen City looks like Glasgow Harbour done by grown ups not land bankers / arbitrage merchants / tax gymnasts.

Look at what we could have won ...

Once we have managed to get rid of the Bearsden / Newton Mearns / Drymen social segmentation ethos element in the plan then we will be laughing.

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