Glasgow Canal Regeneration Takes Major Step Forward
22 August 2007
• Continued community consultation a priority as masterplan is unveiled
The regeneration of Glasgow's canal corridor has reached a major milestone with the unveiling of the proposed masterplan for the area around Maryhill Locks.
As part of an ongoing and wide ranging community engagement exercise The Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership - working closely with Glasgow, Maryhill and Cube Housing Associations' - has taken on board a range of comments and suggestions from local residents and other interested parties to produce the preferred design option for the area.
In developing Maryhill Locks the community stressed the need to retain green public spaces, provide housing for families and incorporate community facilities, especially for young people. The importance of the local history of the area and canal heritage was also highlighted.
The proposed mixed use scheme would see the revitalisation of the Valley and Botany areas of Maryhill, with the proposals including approximately 700 to 800 homes, shops, workspaces, community facilities, refurbishment of the Whitehouse Bar for cultural and heritage interpretation, and the possibility of a new Health Centre for the area.
In designing the masterplan the architects took particular note of the rich history of the canal corridor, the views to and from the locks, the movement of people through both sites and the need to retain leisure space around the canal. As a result the plans very much place the locks at the heart of the proposal, something that will ensure that Maryhill Locks becomes a place to be enjoyed by the local community and visitors from across the City.
The residential units, which would incorporate a mix of social and private housing, include a diverse range of house styles from flats and terraced houses, with front and back gardens, to duplexes and mews. Efforts were made during the design process to move away from previously proposed high rise blocks to a development of mainly two to five storeys, a scale more traditionally associated with Maryhill and again something that the community expressed as being important during the consultation.
The proposals for Maryhill Locks form one element of The Glasgow Canal Regeneration Project's ( GCRP ) 20 year vision to revitalise 1,000 acres of the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde canal from Port Dundas to Maryhill. The project, which was formed in 2004 and is a partnership between Glasgow City Council and UK waterside regeneration specia lists ISIS, will seek to create a fantastic waterside environment that will bring benefits to those living and working in Glasgow , whilst providing attractive destinations for visitors to the city.
A key aim of the regeneration process is to reconnect communities in North Glasgow and the City Centre to the waterway.
Mark Ryder, Chief Executive at ISIS Waterside Regeneration said: "Our design proposals reflect a range of views which were voiced during the community consultation process. The revitalisation of the Maryhill Locks area is an extremely important element in the long term regeneration of the canal corridor and we are determined to continue to work closely with local residents and our other partners to create a family orientated, vibrant and sustainable place where people choose to live and visit."
Steve Dunlop , Director Scotland at British Waterways added; "The restoration of Glasgow's historic canal has provided the catalyst to drive forward a regeneration programme which aims to reconnect and strengthen communities from Port Dundas to Maryhill. Much work has been done to get to this stage and the unveiling of the proposed masterplan for Maryhill Locks is a major step forward, however, it is vitally important that those living and working along the canal corridor and our other partners in the public and private sector continue to feed into the process to ensure that we create a thriving waterside environment that will bring benefits to the people of Glasgow for generations to come."
The project partners are currently working with a host of organisations such as Glasgow Housing Association, Maryhill Housing Association and Cube Housing Association to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of sensitive development proposals, something that will be essential in bringing about real and lasting change to the area.
Councillor George Ryan, Executive Member for Development and Regeneration Services at Glasgow City Council, said: "The masterplan is an important step towards the revitalisation of the canal and the areas along its banks. The canal's regeneration can add to the renaissance that Glasgow is currently going through, and bring another dimension to the city through the development of green space close to its centre. All the partners in this project will continue to work with local people and business to ensure that we create the best possible environment around the canal, making the area an attractive one to work and live."
Further along the canal, work by British Waterways, Glasgow City Council and ISIS to create a new basin and dynamic waterspace between the historic canalside locations at Port Dundas and Speirs Wharf was completed in late 2006. T he creation of the new stretch of canal combined with a programme of landscaping and public realm improvements marks an important stage in the rejuvenation process and will provide an ideal platform to push forward the regeneration of the City's canal.
As part of this process and following a review of its activities last year the partnership is now looking to restart a comprehensive community engagement programme at Speirs Locks to ensure that any development activity fully reflects the views of those living and working on this stretch of the historic waterway.
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Issued on behalf of the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership by Wave PR. For further information contact Chris Bell Tel: 0141 303 8390 Mobile : 07974 692 330