Short film documents the past, present & future of Govan Docks
November 8 2024
A short film documenting the past, present and future condition of Govan's Graving Docks has been produced to illustrate the unrealised potential of the city's waterfront.
Rising Tides by filmmaker Chris Leslie sets the scene for 304 homes on land defined by its role in ship repair and maintenance until its closure in 1988.
Working to mitigate the twin challenges presented by flooding and working around listed dock structures Jennifer O’Donnell of O’DonnellBrown, the architect behind these plans, told Leslie: "For the past 40 years they've lain derelict with the weight of history and expectation awaiting restoration.The site is highly complex, there is a tension between old and new, the industrial and now the natural. That tension plays out in how people relate to and feel about the site."
Spurred by the opening of the Govan-Partick bridge, projected to be crossed by as many as 3m people in its first year, the team are aware that the time is ripe for the 22-acre site to emerge from its post-industrial slumber, pointing to an active travel route will also open up the south side of the River Clyde connecting the Science Centre to the new bridge.
O'Donnell adds: "The housing takes up 20% of the overall footprint but that sits as part of a co-authored site-wide vision which includes bringing dock one back into active use for historic boat repair. It involves public open space on vacant and derelict land east of the basin and Highland Lane, which will open up the site to the city and create a connection with the River Clyde."
Harry O'Donnell of New City Vision added: "It's not just housing, there's commercial activity, people can come and see. It's still a part of Govan, not distinct, not separate. The intention is that we will gift over 80% of the site to some form of community ownership trust and we are working with the council and others to find a way of establishing that."
The £125m project has already seen Dock No1 reopened to allow restoration to begin on the TS Queen Mary.
11 Comments
It is an industrial site that should be kept as an industrial site -- few left on the river and graving docks are like gold dust.
The chat about using one of the docks for houseboats is such a waste -- plenty of space for houseboats elsewhere on the river but strangely enough the concept is struggling for traction.
As noted above someone somewhere is pushing this flawed plan to the max -- the site needs real marine engineering not expensive flats with some hobby engineers close by as a human shield.
along with rest of the river.All major
rivers have boats taking people cruising
to see the sights therefore you have to
present an environment worthy of the
Clyde.This entails a comprehensive and
concrete effort.The city has been remiss
for years,now the time to get things going
I’m 89 yrs old and might not see the end
of this project but I would like to see it
started,good luck to all involved.
The current housing shortage emergency in Glasgow needs to be considered.
Who owns it? and is continually selling off parts to benefit it's shareholders.
I suggest all ship and other heritage groups work together together, while remaining independent organisations. No one community councillor should speak for this community, the City or this plan
1. We own industrial properties on the south side of Clydebrae Street and this large-scale development will adversely affect our business tenants as vehicle traffic consisting of residents’ cars, home deliveries from supermarkets, online deliveries by couriers, servicing and refuse collection vehicles, removal vans, and cars belonging to clients visiting bars and shops will have the potential to create chaos and confrontations.
2. Residents’ entrances directly onto Clydebrae Street with the amount of traffic generated will create a very significant road safety issue mainly where children entering or leaving the flats could be hit by passing traffic.
3. Some years ago, a children’s football ground/play area was erected and Clydebrae Street was closed off at its western end to facilitate a safe area for local adults and children to come and go to the well-established and much supported community centre. The traffic generated by this proposal will undermine the benefit of the surrounding safe area used by the local community.
4. The low amenity value of windows and balconies facing an industrial complex a few metres away across Clydebrae Street is environmentally and aesthetically inappropriate for the 21st century.
5. Car parking is only included for half of proposed flats. This is likely to lead to use of limited on-street parking in the area which will cause significant disruption to local residents and businesses.
6. Car parking below the flatted developments should not be allowed on safety grounds. Electric vehicles can self-ignite with catastrophic consequences as the batteries emit poisonous gasses and generate their own oxygen which makes them extremely difficult to extinguish especially in confined areas.
7. Lay-bys proposed for refuse collection from flats on Govan Rd would lead to excessive loss of pavement width and cause problems for the Eastlink bus route to the QE hospital
8. Parking access would lead to significant increase in traffic in the area, especially at peak times, which may cause problems with the Fastlink bus route and nearby primary school and fire station.
9. The tower block proposed adjacent to the tidal basin would create obstructed views of and from key landmark buildings contrary to Historic Environment Policy SG9 s2.149. This building is also out of scale with the surroundings and inadequately separated from the operation of No. 1 dry dock
10. The proposed blocks along Govan Rd would create obstructed views of the listed dry docks, pump house and key landmark buildings contrary to Historic Environment Policy SG9 s2.149
11. The proposed under croft parking adjacent to No.3 dry dock is on a location of high risk of flooding. This could lead to flood damage to vehicles, leaching of fuel and oils into the water and would be very difficult for residents to insure. This is contrary to NPF4 Policy 22.
12. The proposed blocks on Govan Rd would require pile driving adjacent to the structure of No.3 dry dock that could result in permanent damage to the structure of the listed building.
13. The design of the proposed buildings along Govan Rd especially on the car parking level is detrimental to visual character of the site and not in keeping with the historic environment.
14. The heights of the proposed buildings are out of scale with the surroundings where existing buildings are of 2-4 floors in height.
15. Post and chain fence proposed along the edge of No. 3 dry dock is a potentially unsafe feature not suited to a residential location. Anyone climbing and/or falling over this, children climbing through, etc could fall onto the steep stepped dry dock wall resulting in serious injury or fatality.
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Does that mean it'll be another 40-odd years to work it out.