Objection to Residential Development Proposal, 7-11a North Claremont Street

Whilst the New Glasgow Society has always been active in cultivating new ideas about Glasgow’s built environment, including welcoming new housing in both the city centre and its surrounding areas, it is our role to continue to advocate high quality design and conserve the built heritage of the city.

The proposal for twelve flats at North Claremont Street is a clear demonstration of where developer profiteering has led to an overdevelopment of a site. Whilst an architectural approach of base, body and roof is appreciated, the proposed development is a clear break from the local scale, with a lack of subtlety in the development of a two-storey roof element which will do little to disguise the largeness of the proposal. Whilst supportive of bringing greater residential density to the city centre, we bemoan the loss of active street frontage with two retail units lost to the scheme. The proposal also brings forward two considerable blank gables which will be visible from surrounding streets, these being particularly prominent when viewed obliquely from Sauchiehall Street. As such we would suggest that the design will be seen as an overbearing neighbour to the articulate palace ends of Royal Terrace and Fitzroy Place and will do little to positively enhance this key civic corridor.

It is the opinion of the New Glasgow Society that the proposal that is being brought forward is of a scale and character which is not appropriate within the Park Conservation Area, and the development is a considerable overdevelopment of the site. Whilst we will, in principle, look to support developments which create greater housing density within the city centre, these should be of a scale and character befitting the local planning context. As others have noted and expressed elsewhere, the current proposals at North Claremont Street fail to meet these key tests. As such we would urge the developers to reappraise their approach to the site and bring forward new proposals which are both more innovative and of a character appropriate to this prominent city centre site.

Committee, New Glasgow Society

7th October 2018