November 16 2023

New Gorbals Housing Association has opened a public consultation for emerging proposals to redevelop the site of twin tower blocks at 341 and 305 Caledonia Road.

The housing provider has declared its intention to demolish 276 high-rise homes next year in favour of medium and low-rise developments better suited to families and wheelchair users.

Elder & Cannon and Page\Park are developing designs for separate elements of the site, overlooking the Southern Necropolis, that will introduce a mix of houses and flats warmed by heat pumps and solar panels.

In a statement the association wrote: "The development follows the successful Crown Street model with maisonettes on the ground and first floors with flats above, sharing a private back court area. The proposals also include a number of 2 storey terraced houses. The Association is also exploring the options to provide a community room/facility."

Representations are invited through to a second consultation scheduled for 13 December.

15 Comments

#1 Posted by Shatner's Bassoon on 16 Nov 2023 at 10:24 AM

Please tell me there's a better reason for the odd layout other than making it resemble an abstract Saltire flag in plan (on Caledonia Road) ? :S

#2 Posted by Spike on 16 Nov 2023 at 12:20 PM

Can these flats not be retained and successfully refurbished?
What cost do we bear with embedded energy if they are demolished and rebuilt
Surely in these times this requires a rethink?

#3 Posted by Robin B's Discount on 16 Nov 2023 at 14:02 PM

Jeezo, will people stop this inane 'can they not retain it' nonsense! The response is in the article above: "medium and low-rise developments better suited to families and wheelchair users."

Anyone would think people look at articles with pre-conceived ideas and spout their nonsense regardless of the content.

Lastly, do you seriously not think that someone may have looked into retaining any building thats due for demo? Do you think you are dropping in nugget of advice based on zero knowledge is in any way helpful.

Tedious nonsense - bring back the allotment moaners and the whisperer - at least they had humour.

#4 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 16 Nov 2023 at 14:42 PM

So where are the de-housed going to live?

276 homes being demolished -- how many replacement units are planned for the site?

Looking like 100 plus households will be removed from the Gorbals to allow the ribbon cutters to do their stuff.

Shocking waste of resources -- HA led community sabotage.

Yet we still have ghost streets in Glasgow being overrun by skanky urban foxes and Siberian hamsters -- strange set of priorities.

#5 Posted by Kent on 16 Nov 2023 at 16:43 PM

Well I, for one, welcome our new Siberian hamster overlords.

#6 Posted by Ronald fisher on 16 Nov 2023 at 19:02 PM

The cladding was the same as grennfell ! Cost millions upon millions to clad them ! Better down I never ever liked them ????

#7 Posted by Ben on 16 Nov 2023 at 19:32 PM

This proposal looks great, and terrific to see those two awful towers coming down.
#4 heard that the tenants have been put into new properties within the New Laurieston developments.

#8 Posted by TepidMouse on 16 Nov 2023 at 21:14 PM

The blocks are empty and the entrances boarded up. Everyone is already rehomed in the area, predominantly the new housing Laurieston and Butterbiggins apparently. If strip-out hasn’t started, it won’t be long.

#9 Posted by Roddy_ on 16 Nov 2023 at 23:59 PM

The success of New Gorbals has relied on traditional tight perimeter blocks that create continuous street corridors. This creates legible fronts and backs as well as proper defensible spaces.

These blocks don't do any of the above with the gimmicky angled island footprints.

Expect maintenance issues with the leftover grassy spaces and refuse areas visible to the public from the street.

It is far from an ideal layout but, given there are so few of these 'non-conforming' blocks - they should get away with it.

A little bit of Modernist town planning to go with the neo-traditional. Architects desperately trying to wring some kind of expression out of their brief , when, in fact, something more conventional would function much better.

#10 Posted by The Heart of Saturday Night on 17 Nov 2023 at 09:59 AM

Architects, overcomplicate? Surely not...

#11 Posted by wonky on 17 Nov 2023 at 16:54 PM

I'm with fat man on this why oh why are we allowing the urban foxes, skanky or otherwise, to tyrannise over us like this? what of the de-loused...I mean the de-housed? I blame the woke mob for it. What of the treadmills- will no one think of the Siberian Hamsters? That's what your expensive liberal-lefty utopianism gets you. The Saltire design is clearly an occult gesture to appease the liberal-lefty cults SNP ( where's the money for the campervan?!) overlairds in Holyroodland!

#12 Posted by D to the R on 18 Nov 2023 at 21:31 PM

Calm down calm down … we’re in safe hands. Both PP and E&C are more than capable of delivering better resi schemes than most of the haterz on this thread. Check their back catalogues … never fails to amaze me how many irked and bitter other ‘architects’ we have on here. Probably moaning because the didn’t get the opportunity … which says more about you and yours than these guys ????

#13 Posted by GMan on 20 Nov 2023 at 12:54 PM

So, the Councillor who said the Speirs Wharf proposal was going back to 60's Gorbals must be ok with this one. Asking for a friend.

#14 Posted by vinny on 30 Nov 2023 at 12:12 PM

all of the people in the comments are saying these flats are awful, no they are not. also, they were never using grenfell cladding. new gorbals architecture is ugly so i don't like these new "tenements" more like "uglyments".

#15 Posted by Lisa on 2 May 2024 at 21:35 PM

Hideous design. Will have similar issues to the Queen Elizabeth university hospital. Are they going for a mini Death Star/ saltire flag hybrid? Why make oddly shaped buildings like this that don’t make use of the available space? Is there a better design? I can’t believe this is the best option they have.

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