Plans to build over 60 flats at the Barras recommended for refusal over arts venue impact
Barras flats recommended for refusal due to arts venue impact
Plans to build over 60 flats at the corner of the Barras are recommended for refusal amid fears over the impact on arts venue BAaD.
Spectrum Properties wants to demolish buildings, including the Squirrel Bar, and erect 63 flats on the site.
Over 120 objections were received by Glasgow City Council, with many from former users of community venue Dream Machine which occupied the ground floor of one of the buildings when the application was made.
Councillors are set to consider the plans at a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and planners have said the scheme should be turned down.
In a report to the committee, they state the proposal “does not represent sustainable, contextually appropriate or sufficiently high-quality development”.
They have concerns over the loss of a sandstone building, ground floor commercial and cultural uses and the “excessive” scale of the proposal.
Officials add due to “established night-time economy, entertainment uses and weekend street market activity” — including BAaD and the Barras market — there “remains significant potential for noise and disturbance”.
The development, the report states, fails to “adequately demonstrate that the existing noise and disturbance in the local area would be acceptable for future residents, or that the proposed residential use can coexist with these established activities over the longer term without creating pressure for operational changes, reduced event activity, or additional controls”.
The corner plot, bounded by London Road, Stevenson Street and Bain Street, currently includes a four-storey, L-shaped painted sandstone building. It was previously home to the Dream Machine, a creative studio and community arts venue.
The rest of the site is empty land, currently used for car parking, and the single-storey Squirrel Bar. The council report adds the “iconic ‘Barras’ metal archway entrance sign at Stevenson Street is on the north east corner”.
Spectrum has applied to demolish the buildings and erect a flatted development rising to four, five and six-storeys in places. There would be 63 homes for private sale.
The firm’s application adds: “The proposed scheme will complement and contribute to the local area providing additional high quality homes that meet the demand in the area.”
However, the report to the city’s planning committee states: “The Barras is not simply a location capable of accommodating residential development.
“It possesses a distinctive cultural and commercial identity that contributes significantly to the character of the east end of Glasgow and the wider city.
“The site occupies a particularly prominent corner position with extensive frontage and visibility from London Road, Bain Street and surrounding approaches. As such, it represents an important opportunity to provide active and engaging frontages within the town centre.”