What's next for major £150 million redevelopment of Shawlands Arcade?
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Despite planning approval in 2023, the £150 million redevelopment of Shawlands Arcade is yet to commence. That could be about to change.
More than two years on from planning permission being granted, the Shawlands Arcade development has taken a further step forward with the issuing of the phase 1 decision letter. The major £150 million Clydebuilt Limited Partnership development will completely transform the area's 1960s shopping centre into homes and retail space.
In September 2023, the phase 1 development was approved by Glasgow City Council but, 30 months later, there has been no visible progress made on the project - which is expected to add more than 300 new flats to the area. It was hoped that work would begin in 2024, this did not materialise.
First mooted in 2021, the project would see flats, street level retail units and a central plaza. It is expected that the buildings on Kilmarnock Road would range from five to 14 storeys in height.
The project's design and access statement said it is “retail led at ground floor supported by high quality, accessible public realm and high density residential living above. The masterplan establishes a co-ordinated layout for the site that integrates the detailed analysis and conceptual design thinking into a structured series of buildings and spaces.”
The project has had its fair share of controversies, with objections from Living Rent alongside Shawlands and Strathbungo Community Council. The local community council ultimately objected to the project on the basis that while they “support the prospect of redeveloping Shawlands Arcade, which has been in need of significant investment for many years, the community has significant concerns over multiple aspects of the proposed development in its current form”.
Commonly cited concerns included parking and housing tenure. In total, there were 185 objections to the plans.
Developers Clydebuilt Limited Partnership, which is a property investment and development fund co-owned by Strathclyde Pension Fund and Ediston Real Estate, said that the proposals would help to address a housing shortage in the area.
Speaking as the plans were approved in September 2023, Neil Jamieson, director at Ediston, said that approval marked a “significant” milestone for the area.
He said: “We are delighted that the first phase of our proposals to redevelop Shawlands Arcade has been approved.
“Following extensive consultation with the local community and other key stakeholders, this marks a significant milestone in unlocking the site’s potential and delivering transformational change in Shawlands”.
A planning approval decision letter issued by Glasgow City Council on 20 March , could signal that the delayed project is move a step closer to reality.
Full planning permission for the development was approved by the Planning Application Committee, subject to a Section 75 legal agreement and conditions.
Architects Haus Collective said of the regeneration plan: “The redevelopment of the well-known Shawlands Shopping Arcade is part of a masterplan to create a lively, sustainable neighbourhood in the heart of Glasgow’s Southside, an area which regularly tops the best places to live in Scotland.
“The development of the proposals followed a comprehensive design process informed by a specialist consultant team, pre-application consultation with Glasgow City Council Planning Authority, and local stakeholders.