Welcome to this public consultation being held on behalf of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (‘SFRS’) to outline its emerging proposal for the redevelopment of its site at Cowcaddens, Glasgow. This is the second version of this website – updated to reflect information prepared for a second public consultation event.

This website forms part of the formal Pre-Application Consultation process which is being undertaken prior to the submission of a Planning Permission in Principle application to Glasgow City Council. The emerging proposal is for redevelopment of the site, potentially comprising a mix of residential development (including Build to Rent), student accommodation, retail, leisure and commercial uses. Please read below for further detail on the proposal.

Context on SFRS Approach for the Site

Since restructuring as a single Service, the SFRS has been consolidating its support functions to centralised Headquarters. As such, the majority of uses at Cowcaddens are no longer needed at this location and the SFRS has programmed for the site to be sold once the premises are vacated in a phased manner.

Prior to this, the SFRS is seeking Planning Permission in Principle to set scale, massing and design principles for future redevelopment of this prominent City Centre site for a mix of uses.

A separate review is underway on how best to continue operational fire service coverage of the local area. This is looking at either extended coverage from other fire stations or potential for a new station on adjacent retained land at Cowcaddens.

Get Involved

THE SFRS welcome your involvement in this engagement process and appreciate any contributions from the local community, which will help to inform the proposed development that will be subject to the planning application.

Although we are having in-person community engagement events, this website has also been prepared to electronically provide details of the proposed development and to give an alternative method to provide feedback to the consultation.

The second event is being held on 20 June 2023 within the Cowcaddens Community Fire Station, between the hours of 2pm and 8pm.

Throughout our consultation processes, we will be delighted to receive any feedback and comments. In order to enable this, a short feedback form relating to the first event has been provided below to help capture your views. The information from the completed feedback forms will be used to guide the eventual content of the planning application.

All feedback related to this first event should be submitted by 12 July 2023 in order to be taken into account.

Should this website raise any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on iain.hynd@stantec.com or by contacting a member of the Project Team on 0131 222 4818.

Please note that any comments submitted to this website will be used only by the applicant and Project Team and will not constitute a formal representation to any future planning application. If and when a formal planning application is submitted, there will be an opportunity to make formal representations to Glasgow City Council through the statutory notification period.

Site Location & Analysis

This brownfield site is located on the northern edge of Glasgow City Centre, south of the M8. The site is c. 2ha in size and rises gently in topography from south to north – the north eastern corner has a significant level difference (c.3m) to Port Dundas Road.

The main access point is currently from Milton Street, although emergency vehicle access is directly from Port Dundas Road.

Existing buildings on site include: a two-storey brown brick 5-bay fire station and administrative office; a fire training complex and ten storey fire tower; and two large vehicle maintenance depots. The remainder of the site is generally hard-standing and car parking.

Areas of the western part of the site are identified by SEPA’s indicative online Flood Map as being at medium risk of surface water flooding in a 1:200 year event.

The surrounding area is mixed use in character:

• West: a Police Station and the high density Cowcaddens residential neighbourhood.
• South: three urban blocks including residential dwellings, student accommodation, St Andrew’s First Aid and some ground floor office use.
• East: predominantly commercial / industrial, with car sales garages and a car park site that has recently received planning permission for 359 residential / Build to Rent dwellings.
• North: road infrastructure, including the M8, with residential and industrial areas beyond. Also a housing association building and a further area of SFRS-owned land.

Feedback from the First Consultation Event

The SFRS held an initial consultation event for this proposal on 23 May 2023, within Cowcaddens Fire Station.

A consultation website (www.SFRSCowcaddens.co.uk) went live the same day and had over 200 visitors by 6 June. Both provided opportunity to give feedback on the emerging proposals. Fifteen people provided feedback by 6 June. Circa 46% of these supported the proposed development as presented at that consultation, 7% did not support it, 40% had partial support, while 7% were unsure.

Comments included support for regeneration of a brownfield site, bringing activity to an underutilised part of the City Centre, interest in active street frontages being provided, that the redevelopment should allow space for Glasgow Caledonian University to put campus facilities here if they were interested, and support for a mix of uses, public spaces and cultural opportunities.

Local Buildings of Interest

Planning Policy and the Changing Nature of the Area

In terms of planning policy, the Development Plan coverage of the site comprises the adopted National Planning Framework 4 (‘NPF4’) and the adopted Glasgow City Development Plan (‘CDP’) (2017).

The Proposals Map for the CDP identifies that the site is part of the City Centre Strategic Economic Investment Location, which covers a large area of Glasgow City Centre. Adjacent land to the east of Port Dundas Road is designated as part of an Economic Development Area.

NPF4 has a strong focus on the redevelopment of brownfield land, local living and establishing 20-minute neighbourhoods and creating well-designed places that help tackle the challenges of climate change. The image below shows our analysis of key facilities and services that would form a 20 minute neighbourhood to the site.

The area of Cowcaddens is an ongoing focus for change. Glasgow’s City Centre Strategic Development Framework (May 2021) sets six key ambitions up to 2050. This includes to re-populate the City Centre (to double the 2020 population) and ensure liveable and sustainable neighbourhoods, and to repair, restore and enhance the urban fabric.

A number of area specific District Regeneration Frameworks are also being prepared as planning guidance in order to set specific aims and ambitions for various districts of the City Centre.

A draft of the Cowcaddens DRF was published in early 2023, with an approved version expected by summer 2024. This identifies the site as part of a housing densification zone.

A detailed planning application for a site directly to the east was recently approved subject to the signing of a legal agreement (‘minded to approve’) for 359 residential / Build to Rent (BTR) dwellings with a commercial unit, parking, amenity space and landscaping (ref: 22/00804/FUL).

Plans are also emerging for the redevelopment of the Buchanan House site, to the south east of the site on Port Dundas Road, to provide private residential and BTR dwellings.

The Vision for the Proposed Development

The emerging planning application will seek Planning Permission in Principle (‘PPP’) for redevelopment of the site, potentially comprising a mix of residential development (including Build to Rent), student accommodation, retail, leisure and commercial uses.

The key elements of the proposed development are:

• Four high density blocks of varying scale;
• Re-establishment of the urban grid by opening of Dunblane St. and Stewart St. through the site;
• Proposed new public space adjacent to Milton St;
• A mix of residential dwellings, Build to Rent (BTR)residential accommodation and student accommodation;
• Potential commercial, retail, leisure and food / drink uses;
• Semi-public and private courtyard spaces and roof-top amenity areas;
• Use of low carbon technologies and a Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and landscaping strategy; and
• Active frontages to enliven Milton St.

It will look to establish the principle of the residential-led redevelopment of a prominent brownfield site which will help repopulate and invigorate an important part of Glasgow’s City Centre and act as a catalyst of change to its surrounding area.

The proposed scale and massing has potential for landmark buildings of up to 19 storeys in height and for the provision of up to 1,000 – 1,200 units, subject to detailed design.

Design Principles – Strategic Details

Although the potential mix of land uses is flexible, at this stage our analysis is examining the opportunities and impacts of up to:

• 50-60% student accommodation / Build to Rent uses;
• 30-40% for private residential use with potential for affordable dwellings and;
• Up to 5-10% for commercial, retail, leisure uses.

Access & Parking

The design strategy and proposed density has been influenced by the high level of accessibility of the site to a range of public transport options, as well as City Centre services and employment. The restoration of the Dunblane Street and Stewart Street routes for pedestrian and service use will help reform the block grid pattern.

Undercroft parking is proposed under the block in the north eastern corner, to serve private residential and student accommodation uses. The site falls within Glasgow’s newly proposed Low Emissions Zone, and as such parking courts should contain significant infrastructure for electric vehicle and bicycle parking.

Servicing

Designs should accommodate access to buildings from Maitland Street and Port Dundas Road. It is suggested that the newly extended Dunblane Street should be restricted to service and emergency access only, being pedestrian only at other times to encourage an active travel bias.

Emergency Access

The extended Port Dundas Road will allow access for emergency vehicles. There are also clear routes around the perimeter of the site . As the site contains building of up to 19 storeys, each block should be designed to accommodate a number of emergency escape cores, which will exit onto main streets.

Active Frontage

Active frontages are proposed along Milton St and on the corner of Port Dundas Road. This will look to promote activity at the proposed new public space and encourage increased usage of the routes between Townhead, Cowcaddens Underground and Hope Street.

The frontages could be a mix of retail, commercial / food and drink, leisure or community related uses.

Strategic Design

Environmental Strategy

A Holistic Approach

The design aims to take an overarching approach to its environmental strategy, using streets, spaces and built form to influence a positive approach to high level environmental factors including orientation, biodiversity, drainage, noise and solar gain.

Private Amenity

Blocks are formed around internal courtyards, with built form responding to maximise daylight into these areas. The courtyards will provide private and semi private amenity space within the blocks at ground level. This will be combined with use of roof garden space for amenity, which can add potential biodiversity enhancement through green roofing and planters. Designs of blocks should also utilise balcony space where possible.

Streetscape

A mixture of high quality hard and soft landscaping can be incorporated to create attractive, welcoming streets and promote activity. The street running centrally through the scheme extends and follows the same width as Dunblane Street. This pedestrian focused route has the potential dimensions to accommodate enhanced drainage features such as rain gardens and tree planting whilst also having the function for servicing.

SuDS and Drainage

A Flood Risk Assessment undertaken for the site notes that it is currently at medium risk of surface water flooding. A linked engineering and SuDS strategy is proposed to remove that flood risk and to ensure that new development is not at risk of surface water flooding. A mixture of rain gardens, underground SuDS storage tanks and green roof systems positively influence the design of the proposed development.

Views

With the proposed development being of significant scale (between 6-12 storeys and up to 19 storeys on certain elements) it is important to consider a number of viewpoints that the design will be seen from within the wider cityscape. These are long views, vistas from significant buildings around the site. A number of key views are currently being considered to help us evolve the design and ensure no adverse visual impact on the surrounding area.

Estimated Project Programme and Next Steps

The Project Team will consider all comments made during the consultation events as the proposal develops going forward.

Feedback

the period for providing feedback ended on 12 July 2023 and that we thank everyone for their comments – which will be reviewed by the Project Team prior to the finalisation of the proposed development and the submission of the planning application.

Contact Us

Should this website raise any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

• By Phone 0131 222 4818
• By Email iain.hynd@stantec.com
• By Post Stantec,
  9 George Square,
  Glasgow.
  G2 1DY