Great news For Sighthill, another great legacy for this part of the city if they pull it off.
Item 7
13th September 2012
PROPOSED ACCELERATED DELIVERY OF SIGHTHILL
TRANSFORMATIONAL REGENERATION AREA
To advise Committee of the proposed acceleration of the delivery of Sighthill
Transformational Regeneration Area (TRA). Accelerated as a result of the City’s
bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
Recommendations:
1. To approve Sighthill TRA as the preferred site to host the Youth Olympic
Games Village 2018 as part of the City’s bid to host the Games.
2. To support Transforming Communities : Glasgow in the acceleration of the
delivery of Sighthill within the TRA programme.
3. To support the associated development projects that both support the bid and
enable the delivery of Sighthill as an accelerated TRA.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The City Council launched its bid to host the Youth Olympic Games 2018, in
Kelvingrove Art Galleries and Museum, 20th June 2012. Since then, the City
Council in partnership with the Scottish Government have been preparing the bid
submission document. The Bid is scheduled to be considered by the Cabinet in
September, and if approved, will be formally submitted to the International Olympic
Committee (IOC), 15th October 2012.
1.2 As part of hosting the Youth Olympic Games, the City is required to provide
athletes and officials’ living accommodation for approximately 6000 people during
the two week period of the Games and within a Youth Olympic Games Village.
This figure is similar to the Commonwealth Games Village requirements, which is
currently contributing to the comprehensive regeneration of Dalmarnock.
2. SITE SELECTION
2.1. Three of the City’s Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs) as well as the site
at Collegelands were selected as possible sites available to accommodate the
Youth Olympic Village. Because of Sighthill’s development capacity, proximity to
the motorway, central location to sporting venues and the advantageous natural
site characteristics and boundaries, which allow the delivery of the specific
operational requirements of the Youth Olympic Village, Sighthill has been selected
as the preferred option.
2.2. Sighthill was constructed between 1964 – 1968 by Crudens Ltd on behalf of the
City Council and originally consisted of ten multi storey blocks, four storey blocks
with a central square of single storey shops, school facilities and churches. By the
early 1970’s due to citywide economic and demographic changes the area began
to decline in popularity and the population of the area also started to decline.
2.3. In 2003, as part of the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer, the housing stock in
Sighthill, was transferred from the council to the newly formed GHA (Glasgow
Housing Association).
2.4. In 2005/06, the GHA (in partnership with the council) commissioned a development
study of the area. This recommended that the area be subject to comprehensive
regeneration and it was identified as one of eight Transformational Regeneration
Areas (TRAs), considered jointly as priorities for regeneration by both the GHA and
the council. The scale of regeneration required meant that no one agency was able
to tackle the comprehensive regeneration required. In particular one clause within
the Stock Transfer Agreement (known as the Disposals Clawback Arrangement)
restricted receipts from sales of land within the area being recycled. Because of
this and the scale of the challenge both the council and GHA were restricted in
their ability to deliver the comprehensive regeneration required.
2.5. As a result of the 2005/06 study and an associated Housing Futures Assessment
process carried out by the GHA, two multi storey blocks were demolished in July
2009, with a further three following suit in November 2009. An additional three
multi storey blocks are also programmed for demolition with the reprovisioning of
tenants currently underway to recently improved GHA homes and new GHA/RSL
homes being built across the City.
2.6. In December 2009, the council, GHA and Scottish Government entered into a new
strategic partnership in order to take forward the strategic planning and delivery of
all eight TRAs. The TRA Partnership has since evolved into a formal legal entity,
known as Transforming Communities : Glasgow (TCG) in April 2012.
2.7. In 2011, the TRA partners subsequently prepared a robust business plan covering
all eight TRA projects, to test the financial viability of redeveloping them in the
current housing market conditions. Of the eight TRAs, Sighthill fared the worst in
this exercise, with the consultancy team, concluding that it would take a
comprehensive masterplanning and substantial public sector subsidy for Sighthill
to be attractive and economically viable for redevelopment.
2.8. The TCG business plan also sets out a phasing profile for the delivery of the TRA
programme. The earliest potential start date for the delivery of Sighthill TRA is
identified as 2020, with an extended delivery timescale up to approximately 2038,
depending on market conditions. This was due to the inherent problems with the
site including contamination, poor connectivity to the city centre and the
unattractiveness of a site of this scale to the Private Sector in the current market
conditions. The consultants concluded that only if a ‘politically supported’ project of
national strategic significance were to be promoted in Sighthill, would there be any
prospect of delivering the project before 2038.
2.9. The selection of Sighthill for the Youth Olympic Games Village 2018 as part of
Glasgow’s bid, will mean bringing forward the delivery of Sighthill TRA by some 20
years. This acceleration of Sighthill TRA will have to be delivered regardless of
whether Glasgow is successful in its bid to host the YOG 2018 or not, and is the
legacy of the bid process itself.
2.10. The Board of Transforming Communities : Glasgow (TCG) will require to formally
approve the acceleration of Sighthill in the TRA Programme and be satisfied that
the comprehensive regeneration of the area will be supported by both the Council
and Scottish Government, regardless of the success of the bid. Scottish Ministers
will also require to agree to set aside the aforementioned Stock Transfer Disposals Clawback Arrang
3.BID MASTERPLAN AND NEXT STEPS
3.1. Two bid masterplans have been designed for Sighthill; one showing the layout at
games mode with temporary overlay areas(e.g. tented dining, National Olympic
Officials offices etc. ) and the other at legacy mode showing the overlay areas
developed out. Common to both bid masterplans are the following elements:-
Over 700 new homes
A new Campus School with training facilities (used as main venue for the
Cultural and Education Programme during the Games)
Village Square
Potential for hotels and or Student residencies
New ‘street’ bridge across the M8 to reconnect the site to the City Centre
New road bridge over the railway line at the north west
New central diagonal street with ground floor commercial/retail units
In addition to this, the Village legacy will help unlock the development potential of
the northern flank of the City Centre. Already the City Council in partnership with
ISIS Waterside Regeneration, has implemented projects to maximise the use and
potential of the canal corridor and renewed much of the Canal’s infrastructure. One
of the Canal’s basins is located immediately to the west boundary of the Youth
Olympic Games Village (YOGV), where it is planned to create a national paddle
sports centre for canoeing and kayaking. The YOGV will act as a catalyst for
further investment in the immediately adjoining and available sites
As part of the proposals it is planned to carry out site remediation works to
decontaminate the land. This will be a valuable legacy for Glasgow. Embedded in
the bid masterplan is the aspiration to provide a green network through the site
connecting the Sighthill cemetery in the north through a series of green spaces to
the City Centre. This green network is integrated with the requirements to provide
a Sustainable Urban Drainage System and the opportunity to develop this and
create pleasant and natural environmental viable spaces will be fully explored as
the bid masterplan evolves to the detailed design stage.
3.2. The City will know whether it is still a contender for hosting the Games in February
2013, with the final decision on the host City determined in July 2013. This would
only leave 4 years and 5 months to build out the masterplan, as the site would be
handed over to the IOC normally six months in advance of the opening ceremony
to allow fit out of the Village.
3.3. It is therefore crucial that the next six months are utilised and fully resourced to
propel the project forward to meet the necessary timescales. It is envisaged an
application for planning permission in principle(PPP) relating to the bid masterplan
will be submitted for approval by the Council with detailed applications for matters
specified by condition(of the PPP) either submitted by the Council or by others
through procurement. The specified matters applications will be relate to :ement for Sighthill.
Infrastructure/roads and remediation( including Sustainable Urban Drainage,
Flood risk ,ecology and archaeology assessments)
Campus School
Village Square
Housing units
Bridge and road connections
Hotels/Student residencies
4. COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLICATIONS
Economic Impact: Community Benefits Clauses will be an
integral part of the Development Agreement
with the Private Sector Development Partner.
The estimated construction value of the
project is £250M, which will bring
considerable benefits to the local economy in
terms of jobs, training opportunities and the
supply chain associated with a project of this
scale and nature.
Sustainability: The regeneration of Sighthill will involve the
remediation of a large area of contaminated
land. Tender documentation will also require
developers to implement sustainable building
and construction methods as part of their
submissions, leading to a Eco Friendly and
Sustainable regeneration project.
Financial: Resources required to support this proposal
are subject to current negotiations with
Scottish Government and the GHA.
Legal: The acceleration of Sighthill TRA will require
the council to enter into a Development
Agreement with a Private Sector Development
Partner. There may also be other legal
implications in relation to land and property
assembly generally associated with a
regeneration project of this scale and nature
Personnel: This is a major regeneration project which
must be delivered on time and within
restricted budgets and therefore, adequate
resources will be required to support this.
Sustainable Procurement
and Article 19:
Article 19 will apply to the public sector
elements of this project as outlined in Section 1.13.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
1. To approve Sighthill TRA as the preferred site to host the Youth Olympic
Games Village 2018 as part of the City’s bid to host the Games.
2. To support Transforming Communities: Glasgow in the acceleration of the
delivery of Sighthill within the TRA programme.
3. To support the associated development projects that both support the bid and
enable the delivery of Sighthill as an accelerated TRA.