The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Oh , look on the bright side though, at least they arent red roof red walls.

That is a tad disappointing.... ah well.

I expected that sorta thing.

They've probably got dumb names too like; Cyrpus Style, New York Style, Melbourne Style. In spite the fact they all look like Wimpey Style!

Perhaps I should take that back...

Although they are equally as dumb:

The Alder : 3 bedroom semi-detached villa
The Aspen : 3 bedroom detached villa
The Cedar : 4 bedroom detached villa
etc...

Jings they pulled down an 'A' listed building to put up that dross?

Duh????

Cue sound of palm of hand smacking head repeatedly...

Did the scale and quality of Thomson and Sandilands masterpiece not tell them something? 'Hamlets' my arse. Lets call a spade a spade. It's 'executive' housing in a cul de sac! Could they not have come up with something slightly more imaginative? It's even got a 'landscaped amenity area' for gawds sake . I mean what the f**k is that?! ( the answer is it's a planning requirement though why exactly you need it when you are supposed to be in all these beautiful grounds (how much is left by the time it's covered in houses?) is beyond me) In a century's time people won't be valuing that dross as much as they will the hospital.

Given the fact that this is meant to be a local nature reserve

a) how did they get away with this?

b) if they were going to build would it not have been better to have a proper sustainable community i.e. a village that would have been more compact than suburban sprawl and would not only have covered less area (and hence left more habitat for wildlife) but would also have engendered a sense of community with shops and facilities instead of my home is my castle ticky tacky boxes. A good 20 years behind planning movements in the states

Depressing .

"how did they get away with it"

Can't you hear the rustling of brown paper envelopes around the George Square area?

Or is that the rain?

Fat Cat wrote:"how did they get away with it"

Can't you hear the rustling of brown paper envelopes around the George Square area?

Or is that the rain?

More likely the sound of tumbling Tumbleweed in your cerebral hemispheres.

Why wouldn't this project receive planning permission. No objections so why waste money on bribes. There's been worse passed.

Dexter St. Clair wrote:

Fat Cat wrote:"how did they get away with it"

Can't you hear the rustling of brown paper envelopes around the George Square area?

Or is that the rain?

More likely the sound of tumbling Tumbleweed in your cerebral hemispheres.

Why wouldn't this project receive planning permission. No objections so why waste money on bribes. There's been worse passed.

I agree worse projects have been passed, but you'd have to look hard to find them.

Knightswood Hopsital on Anniesland Road.

A friend of mine (Harry O'Donnell) is the developer at Gartloch (and the Graving Dock). Harry's the first to admit that he's now a commercial developer (having worked at Scottish Homes for many years) but he's also passionate about the need to resolve the critical shortage of affordable housing in the U.K.

The plans for these sites aren't secret - see http://www.bishoploch.com/

Right, I'm away to the 'introduce yourself' forum.

Thanks for that rdt2 and welcome to the forums. Interesting to read Harry O'Donnell's CV there. Sounds like an interesting character being involved in Shelter, and a council member of the Urban Villages Council as well as other avenues. I'm impressed and I would be interested to see the principles Bishops Loch have applied in the Hume development in Manchester applied up here. What was the development in the Gorbals that the CV refers to?

I think its admirable that he has taken on Gartloch and is restoring the hospital. Better that than lose it. It can't be cheap though and there will be a massive element of risk after all. It's just that as a committted urbanist I'd have rather seen an urban village clustered around it than yet more cul de sacs! So 'scuse the knee jerk reaction! But it is interesting to note the likes of ZM architects, Cooper Cromar and Valode and Pistre being involved in some of Bishop Loch's scheme. That is revealing. And I agree with him about the need to resolve the critical shortage of affordable housing in the U.K. Its just I'd rather see this being focused on our urban centres.

Cheers

CC

I've just had a word with Harry about the Gartloch project. He told me that they're restoring all of the A-listed buildings - including some that Hysterical Scotland had given permission to demolish, the 'Main Hall' being one (I don't know the site itself but others obviously do). He is demolishing one Art Deco listed building but only because there's a very similar building already preserved in Canniesburn. Hysterical Scotland have, apparently, described Gartloch as a 'model development'.

Harry said that he'd be happy to arrange for people to be shown around the site. He also said he'd try to log on here to answer any queries directly but I know what his schedule is like, so I'd be happy to pass anything on. Or to introduce any members who frequent the Chip.

In contrast, he was bemoaning the fact that the Woodilee site near Lenzie is being left to dereliction by NHS Scotland, who seem to be the main culprits in a lot of dereliction. Still, I imagine they have their own problems.

''He told me that they're restoring all of the A-listed buildings - including some that Hysterical Scotland had given permission to demolish'' why would they give permission in that case

Although listed, some of the buildings had been allowed to fall into a derelict state. I don't quite know how it works but perhaps the NHS can't be forced to carry out repairs in the same way that a private owner can. One government agency versus another?

I think thats something to with the difference between 'conservation' and 'preservation' of buildings. If this was conservation they could allow it to fall into disrepair and re-build parts of it quite legally. I think.