Glasgow city centre residents have expressed their “profound sadness and bitter disappointment” at the Scottish Government’s decision to allow more than 100 flats to be built on a site they have fought for five years to be transformed into Merchant City’s first green space.
Scottish Ministers announced on 16 July they had agreed with the recommendations of its official Reporter, Elspeth Cook, to give the go-ahead for a planning application submitted to Glasgow City Council (GCC) to build the apartments on the site of a car park bounded by Candleriggs, Ingram Street and Albion Street.
This site features a major tourist attraction of a mural depicting wild animals peering through gaps in a wall.
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC), which commissioned the mural, was one of more than 140 objectors to the application, passed by GCC’s Planning Committee in February 2023 on the casting vote of the Chairman. Most Committee members stayed away from that meeting.
Following the protests the decision was ‘called in’ by the Scottish Government because of the possibility that the adjacent Old Fruitmarket and City Halls music venues might have to be closed because of noise complaints from the new neighbours.
The Community Council has campaigned for five years to turn the site, situated opposite the historic Ramshorn Church and Graveyard, into ‘Merchant City Park.’
A spokesman for for MCTCC commented: “We received the news with profound sadness and bitter disappointment.”
He added: ““Merchant City does not have a single park or any other green space, particularly needed in the post-COVID environment.
“Ministers agreed that major issues for consideration included the effects on amenity open space, trees and the mural yet have over-ridden these.
“This was a rare opportunity for the City Council to live up to its to oft-repeated boast of creating a greener Glasgow and work with residents to develop a park for the benefit of local and wider communities to improve health and wellbeing as well as tourism. The proposed building will also partially obliterate a delightful mural photographed by hundreds of visitors each week.”
The development will mean the felling of 18 Cherry Blossom and three Horse Chestnut trees. Ministers said the applicant proposed to plant replacement trees, albeit fewer in number than those removed, and include other planting schemes in a publicly accessible courtyard and rooftop terraces.
Ministers said the developers should make a financial contribution of £110,199 in lieu of on-site amenity provisions, a figure dismissed by MCTCC as “woefully inadequate, adding: “Going on evidence from other Community Councils this will not be spent on the Merchant City.”
The formal decision on the planning application has been deferred for at least six months to enable relevant planning obligations or another suitable agreement to be completed.