Botanic Gardens Station Re-building Proposal

[Field Marshall Shug]

I am not well travelled, but the proposal (minus miniature railway!) sounds different to what you get in other cities. Just not so long ago people were chatting about the derelict station and here we are talking about its rennovation (albeit as a venue). I like the sound of the proposal, but I am easily entertained. A buzz kill would be all the anoraks who turn-up to take pics of the mini railway.

[Mori]

be nice if they recreated the station building,

[Mori]

Herald

King gets go-ahead to recreate Botanics station

Stefan King, the millionaire leisure entrepreneur, has been given the go-ahead to recreate a historic railway station.

Glasgow City Council's executive committee approved the scheme without any major objections yesterday.

However, there are still a number of hurdles to get over before work on the project in the Botanic Gardens, in the city's west end, begins.

[crusty_bint]

excellent news

[Dexter St. Clair]

Westender wakes up

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/letters/display.var.1480547.0.0.php

Councillors wakened up

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/letters/display.var.1480545.0.0.php

[glasgowLOST]

It's incredible to think how much Glasgow's elected representatives - as well as the people of Glasgow - are being kept in the dark about plans for their leisure services... what exactly is the council scared of from an open and transparent debate about the issues?

This is of course only the beginning of the prostitution of our Common Good assets and our dear green places, there's a lot worse to come!

10 Things You Should Know About Culture and Sport Glasgow

gL.

[cumbo]

Wake up ....This is the guy that left the post office to rot in hell

[Bingo Bango]

Wake up ....This is the guy that left the post office to rot in hell

George Square is hell now? Jings, i knew the pink tarmac was rubbish but is it really that bad?

[Mori]

Herald

Seems the Botanics Plan is causing a lot of hassle from all sectors.



The proposal for a bar, nightclub and conference centre within a landmark public park is now facing opposition from two sets of politicians and at the Scottish Parliament.

Five Labour councillors and a separate cross-party group want Glasgow City Council's recently established scrutiny committees to re-examine the bid by Stefan King's G1 Group for the scheme in the west end's Botanic Gardens.

The plans could ultimately be referred back to the authority's executive committee and the original decision overturned.

It comes as a number of Glasgow Nationalist MSPs submitted a motion at parliament demanding a reversal of last week's decision to agree in principle to the application.

One "call-in" to the scrutiny committee came from its convener, Labour's Euan McLeod, backed by party colleagues Paul Rooney, Paul Carey, Phil Braat and Tommy Morrison.

But as Mr McLeod's was submitted first only his will be heard, although he insists that local opposition councillors along with other interested stakeholders will be given the chance to speak at the meeting which is scheduled to take place in the late summer or early autumn.

However, opposition members are concerned that the move may be a pre-emptive strike by Labour to ensure the scrutiny is less rigorous than if they had conducted it.

West end SNP member Alex Dingwall said: "I hope this signals a re-think within the Labour group and isn't some sort of squalid tactic."

Yesterday, SNP MSPs Bob Doris, Bill Kidd and Sandra White lodged a motion "calling on Glasgow City Council to halt any further moves on this decision and enter into a full consultation exercise with local communities and other interested groups".

[Socceroo]

This is the usual Council tactics again. They go crashing in with all sorts of plans and the thing grows until it is completely over the top and objections start coming in from all angles and the whole project stalls.

Then due to the fact that they did not carry out local consultation and did not refer to the local Councillors, MSPs and local organisations properly, they end up appointing some specialist consultant at tax payers expense to manage the consultation process.

So Stefan King wanted to open a Cafe Bar with some Park facilities, good on him.

But why let G1 away with £5000 - £12000 in rent which is a pittance? On the other hand why hold the developer to ransom and make them fit a kitsch Miniature Railway at £120,000, a £50,000 Bandstand and a "Temporary" Pavilion for events. What are they trying to do create a mini Disneyland?

What kind of Miniature Railway would you get for £120,000. Stefan Kings car probably cost more than that.

Bandstand for £50,000? What are they building? A timber kit house costs more than that.

What ever happened to less is more. Would it not have been better to agree with the Developer to build a quality understated venue that fits in with the Park in its current style, then go through the normal Planning and Warrant consultative process and charge the going rate for rent of the Site.

There are so many other very nice parks and areas of the City which could do with some Cultural Investment.

[hound dog]

So Stefan King wanted to open a Cafe Bar with some Park facilities, good on him.

But why let G1 away with £5000 - £12000 in rent which is a pittance? On the other hand why hold the developer to ransom and make them fit a kitsch Miniature Railway at £120,000, a £50,000 Bandstand and a "Temporary" Pavilion for events. What are they trying to do create a mini Disneyland?

What kind of Miniature Railway would you get for £120,000. Stefan Kings car probably cost more than that.

Bandstand for £50,000? What are they building? A timber kit house costs more than that.

Nobody is holding the developer to ransom - that's more like Stefan King's tactics. The miniature railway, bandstand etc were all included in the original proposal submitted by the G1 group as a "bribe" to get the council to give them what they really want i.e. a nightclub in the west end's prime site. I think the expression is "throwing out a sprat to catch a whale".

In a public relations piece in last night's Evening Times Stefan is quoted as saying

"I thought it would be a nice addition to have a little railway for kids."

Aren't we lucky to have such a caring and considerate businessman taking over the west end of Glasgow

[hound dog]

Public Meeting arranged for Monday 27 August Hillhead Library

See http://www.hillheadcc.org.uk/documents/ ... ction=show

[Mori]

Evening Times

Tycoon faces critics on Botanics plan

A MILLIONAIRE nightclub boss has faced his critics over controversial plans to turn a disused railway station into a visitor attraction.

More than 300 people turned out to a packed meeting to hear Stefan King's controversial proposals for the Glasgow Botanic Gardens building.

But 200 of those were denied entry because organisers claim Hillhead Library was full.

[Mori]

GCC

Proposal to develop disused railway site in Botanic Gardens gets go-ahead

The Council's Land and Environment Policy, Development and Scrutiny Committee agreed the lease of the former railway site in the Botanic Gardens to the G1 Group.
At a special meeting on Friday, 7 September members of the Land and Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee agreed on the Executive Committee's decision to allow the lease and restoration of the James Miller railway station building as a cafe and restaurant together with a performance facility and nightclub venue.
The new decision making arrangements attached to the new committee system means the Policy Development and Scrutiny Committees can hold the Executive Committee to account on decisions it has made.
It is one of the major strengths of the new committee system and allows far more time to be spent on individual issues which people feel would benefit from further discussion.
With the lease approved, there will now be a full statutory consultation exercise as part of the planning process, where local residents will have the opportunity to submit their views regarding the proposal to the Council.

Minutes Item 1

[lynnski]

Redevelopment of this building is a good idea. Stefan King's idea for a nightclub, restaurant etc is a VERY VERY BAD idea!! There is already Oran Mor just over the road, there is no need for an almost identical project in the same area. And lets face it, does the West End really need ANOTHER restaurant/bar/nightclub?? There are plenty of them already!! A cafe* and visitors centre would be a good idea, and could help educate visitors and locals alike on the history of the area.

*perhaps a licensed cafe that could sell locally produced food and drinks, therefore being a good idea all round!!