Flood prevention measures set to be installed in Cardonald

Glasgow councillors will be asked to back three moves which will allow the construction of flood prevention measures to progress at Queensland Gardens.

What will the project do?

Southside Housing Association and the council are behind the award-winning scheme, which will see “extensive” work to “reduce the risk and effects of flooding”.

The council has said the project will help the area to adapt to the challenges of climate change as well as providing attractive open space for the community.

A council report states the work will include swales, which are channels to store run-off water, and sustainable drainage ponds.

Plans, submitted on behalf of the council and the housing association, were approved in 2019. They won the Building with Nature National Award at the Landscape Institute Awards 2021.

Award-winning plans

The scheme earned the accolade for its green retrofit design, which will transform underused greenspace next to Queensland Court.

The proposals were co-developed by Raeburn Farquhar Bowen alongside engineering consultants Sweco and include a community park with residents’ garden and seating.

Approval needed

On January 13, councillors will be asked to dispose of 658 square metres of land to Southside Housing Association. The council “appears to have retained” ownership of the land due to “an error” in the housing stock transfer process, when the council transferred homes to Glasgow Housing Association.

The city’s contracts and property committee will also be asked to approve the required licences for carrying out construction work.

And it will be asked to back taking a wayleave, which will give the council right of access to areas of land for maintenance work after the project has been completed.

There are “complex” ownership issues, the council report adds, and it is hoped the project will “simplify” the “interests and maintenance responsibilities”, with Southside Housing taking over the whole site.

The land was originally owned by Glasgow Housing Association following the city’s housing stock transfer until a secondary transfer led to Southside Housing Association taking over. However, some of the land remains under council control.

The housing association will become responsible for maintenance, other than underground parts of the sustainable drainage basin and associated pipework, which will be maintained by the council “pending adoption by Scottish Water”.

Construction at Queensland Court and Gardens is expected to start early this year.