Glasgow seeks to block Braehead ‘town centre’ status
February 22 2013
Renfrewshire Council is seeking to re-designate the shopping mall as a planning ruse in order to facilitate a £200m expansion of the centre; including new shops, leisure facilities, arena, public square, restaurants and a 200 bed hotel
Glasgow argues however that the mall is in fact a commercial centre focussed on retail and leisure as Braehead lacks the diversity and accessibility which defines a proper town centre.
Liz Cameron, city council spokeswoman for regeneration, said: "Significantly, the masterplan does not introduce the civic and community uses found in Glasgow's strategic town centres, including Pollok and Easterhouse, which otherwise resemble Braehead in the respect they include major mall type retail developments.
"It should also be noted the demand context for further retail development at Braehead has yet to be established.
"If Braehead is designated as town centre, it will establish a precedent. This could make it more difficult to resist proposals to redesignate other commercial centres that have a similar mix of retail and commercial leisure use, and could similarly adapt their layout to take on the appearance of a town centre, without the diversity of uses that are a fundamental element of the character of town centres."
6 Comments
#1 Posted by wonky on 22 Feb 2013 at 17:04 PM
Braehead has a Town centre, its called 'Renfrew'- anyone out there heard of it?
#2 Posted by Anna West on 25 Feb 2013 at 16:17 PM
You can’t possibly take seriously what Glasgow City Council is claiming here. The council is happy that Silverburn Shopping Centre and The Fort Shopping Centre have town centre status, yet they claim Braehead doesn’t meet the criteria.
Who are they trying to kid? Braehead has a much more diverse range of activities with a mix of retail, leisure, business, hotel and residential than either Silverburn or The Fort.
And as for the wringing of hands over the threat to Glasgow city centre. If the city council are that concerned, why has the council just approved a huge £20 million extension to Silverburn Shopping Centre and also an expansion of The Fort that was given the go-ahead last year?
Do these two out of town shopping centres not pose a threat to the city centre?
Who are they trying to kid? Braehead has a much more diverse range of activities with a mix of retail, leisure, business, hotel and residential than either Silverburn or The Fort.
And as for the wringing of hands over the threat to Glasgow city centre. If the city council are that concerned, why has the council just approved a huge £20 million extension to Silverburn Shopping Centre and also an expansion of The Fort that was given the go-ahead last year?
Do these two out of town shopping centres not pose a threat to the city centre?
#3 Posted by wonky on 25 Feb 2013 at 18:04 PM
I agree Anna. None of the above should ever have been built in the first place. Who can get to these places other than drivers? Why do we want more people using cars more often than they have to at a time when Global Warming is out of control? Are these places even sustainable considering how reliant they are on car drivers?
Could the money not have been spent on regenerating traditional town centres like Renfrew (anyone remember that?), Paisley or even rehabilitating Glasgow's main streets and areas?
I could weep at the paucity of vision we have in Britain...mark my words: these out-of-town-shopping-centers are White Elephants, but right now we just don't recognize it yet, and when we do it will probably be too late anyway.
Could the money not have been spent on regenerating traditional town centres like Renfrew (anyone remember that?), Paisley or even rehabilitating Glasgow's main streets and areas?
I could weep at the paucity of vision we have in Britain...mark my words: these out-of-town-shopping-centers are White Elephants, but right now we just don't recognize it yet, and when we do it will probably be too late anyway.
#4 Posted by Egbert on 26 Feb 2013 at 09:17 AM
Agree with all of the above. If GCC want to be taken seriously they need to strip Silverburn and Glasgow Fort of their (equally spurious) 'town centre' status - otherwise we will only see the continuation of what is effectively an arms race between the three of these lumbering, parasitic megaliths. As it stands the real town centres (as well as the peripheral parts of Glasgow's own centre) can only lose out.
#5 Posted by FD on 9 Mar 2013 at 00:23 AM
This is rediculous. How does the Council expect to regenerate the likes of Paisley town centre, which I believe has been nominated for the 'worst town in Scotland' this year? Very clever ...just another nail in the coffin entirely by of their own making. Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing?
To possiby think that Braehead should be given town centre status doesn't say much for the Council's ambition for its people.
Bad planning.
To possiby think that Braehead should be given town centre status doesn't say much for the Council's ambition for its people.
Bad planning.
#6 Posted by Partick Bateman on 11 Mar 2013 at 09:22 AM
Paisley town centre will be fine...the council are on it, they're sorting it out. They're going to allow cars back into the pedestrianised area! So now you'll be able to drive to your faveourite charity shop.
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