Glasgow | Public Realm | News & Developments

[M_Riaz]

Masterplans for Public realms @ lancefield and Anderston Quays.

[M_Riaz]

Absolutely love this wee scheme, good on Freinds of Mansfield Park for securing this plan.

Friends of Mansfield Park Ltd
Refurbishment of Mansfield Park

Purpose of Report:
To advise Committee of proposals to extend the lease of Mansfield Park to the Friends of
Mansfield Park Ltd to meet the funding conditions imposed by the Big Lottery.

Recommendations:
It is recommended that the Committee agree to lease Mansfield Park to the Friends of the
Mansfield Park Ltd on the principal terms detailed in the report, in order to meet the funding
conditions imposed by the Big Lottery.

1. BACKGROUND
On 24 August 2005 the Council agreed to lease the area occupied by Mansfield Park
(Ward 12) to the Friends of Mansfield Park Ltd (‘the friends’) to implement a comprehensive
refurbishment programme. At that time the Council agreed a lease of 25 years (at £1 per
annum) with contributions of £500,000 from the City Growth Fund and £300,000 from the
LES Parks development programme capital budget towards the total capital costs of the
project of £2.32m. LES have also committed to continue the current level of revenue
spend on Park maintenance.

2. The Friends have devoted a considerable amount of time to raising the balance of the
funds required to implement the project, and contributions have been secured from
Community Scotland, SE Glasgow and various other charitable funds and foundations.
The largest single contribution is being sought from the Big Lottery through its “Investing In
Communities” programme. There has been considerable discussion between the Friends,
the Big Lottery and the Council over the potential terms on which the Big Lottery Funding
would be made available, with the Lottery favouring the transfer of ownership of the park to
the Trust, and the Council favouring an appropriate leasehold arrangement which would
ensure that in the event of any default on the part of the Friends the park would revert to
Council management. The Lottery has been advised that it would be contrary to Council
Policy to transfer ownership of a City Park to any external body.

3. After considerable negotiation the Committee is now being recommended to approve a
lease on the following principal terms and conditions:
a) The lease shall run for 99 years.
b) The lease will be granted at an annual rental of £1 per annum.
c) The lease will be conditional on the Friends confirming that it has the necessary
resources to complete the capital works and to fund the ongoing annual
maintenance costs.
d) The lease will be conditional on the Friends agreeing an appropriate annual
maintenance programme with the Executive Director of Land & Environmental
Services.
e) The lease will contain “break” clauses which can be implemented in the event
that the Friends default on the agreed maintenance schedule.
f) The lease will give the Council rights to utilise Mansfield Park for the Partick
Farmers Market.
g) The lease will require the Friends to hold the appropriate levels of insurance and
liability cover.
h) The lease will contain the other standard terms and conditions which are
appropriate to a lease of this nature.

4. SERVICE IMPLICATIONS
Financial: As the current level of revenue expenditure will continue after the
development is complete, the proposals will not result in a revenue saving
to the Executive Director of Land & Environmental Services.
Legal: The necessary legal work to conclude the lease will be undertaken by
Legal Services.
Personnel: None.
Service Plan: The proposals have already been approved by the Council and are in line
with the appropriate sections of the DRS and LES Service Plans.
Environmental: The proposals will significantly enhance the quality of the Mansfield Park
through a complete redevelopment of the existing facility in line with the
Planning Consent which has already been granted.

[M_Riaz]

ET

Footballers hit at plans for square

A MOVE to transform a rundown square in the West End of Glasgow has angered football fans.

They are unhappy at losing part of their pitch to create a £2.3million park with civic square.

But the condition of the red blaes pitch at Mansfield Park in Partick, the home of the twice monthly farmers' market, has deteriorated.

Friends of Mansfield Park, who operate from Partick Housing Association offices, won council backing for a plan to create a multi-sports pitch, events space, landscaping, play areas and a cafe.
Councillors agreed to grant the organisation a 99-year lease at a cost of £1 a year, allowing it to bid for Lottery cash.

But SNP councillors are unhappy at the move and tomorrow the decision will be reviewed by a special scrutiny committee.

Kenny McLean, the Nationalist councillor for Partick West, said: "I have been contacted by local residents who are concerned that what will be put in place will not satisfy their requirements.

"At the moment there is a red blaes pitch which can take seven-a-side games. What will go in its place will be smaller."

Joe Mooney, who uses the Mansfield Park pitch for matches, said: "The plan is to leave us with only a four-a-side pitch."

Labour councillor Aileen Colleran said: "I've not had one complaint about the size of the pitch."

[milton]

Hmm, I can see their point to an extent. 4-a-side? Who the hell plays 4-a-side?

I do like the scheme though, it's been crying out for a makeover.

But.. I'm not convinced that having the market outside is the best idea. We're always wishing that we had markets that are as popular as those you see in countries like France or Spain, but the weather here is such a pain. Anyway, I have decided upon the best place for a market - would it not be wonderful to see the derelict school baths on Byres Road refurbished and turned into a community facility/market place?

[maccoinnich]

I went along to the market on Saturday, and it had a great wee selection of stalls. The only thing I thought wrong with the market itself was that it is only twice a month in that location. For the last couple of years, Edinburgh has had its main farmers market every Saturday, and even in darkest winter it always seems to get a good turn out.

Actually, speaking of great indoor markets though, anybody ever been to Pike Place market in Seattle? (Yes, where they throw the fish.) I wish there was anything comparable in Scotland.

[legslikeaspider]

I walked past that pitch (I believe it's known locally as 'the cage') every day for about 6 years whilst at university. I never once saw any form of organised football on there and only the occasional, slightly sorry looking 12 year olds hoofing a burst ball to each other whilst trying not to sever their arteries on all the broken glass and avoid the copious mountains of crusty dogshit. I'm surprised they are even paying lip service to the football pitch idea at all - at the moment there's nowhere to get changed, there's no pitch markings, and no floodlighting - its just a nasty looking patch of blaes. Furthermore, there's a perfectly fine, full-size and floodlit astroturf pitch just 5 mins walk away at Hyndland School. If Cllr Joe Mooney uses the current pitch for matches, then I'm Diego Maradona. What a load of arse.

Aside from the pitch, the whole public realm in there is desperate for a makeover. £1.2 million sounds like a decent amount and I'm confident that short of putting in piles of razor wire, any work that they carry out will be an improvement on what's already there.

The farmers' market is excellent and I'm glad they are going to make it a more pleasant environment for both the vendors and the shoppers. Milton, I think your Byres Road swimming pool idea is excellent, but that site has got 'luxury apartments' written all over it.

[crusty_bint]

SNP are such whores. Good luck to the Friends of Mansfield Park, this little scheme and the people who have given their all to making it happen should be applauded and the nay-sayers given a good slap.

I'll bet the ones complaining now are the ones that didn't give a fuck when all the work was being done putting the scheme and the funding package together. tut huh.

[milton]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I went along to the market on Saturday, and it had a great wee selection of stalls. The only thing I thought wrong with the market itself was that it is only twice a month in that location. For the last couple of years, Edinburgh has had its main farmers market every Saturday, and even in darkest winter it always seems to get a good turn out.

Actually, speaking of great indoor markets though, anybody ever been to Pike Place market in Seattle? (Yes, where they throw the fish.) I wish there was anything comparable in Scotland.

Macc - it's because on the alternate Saturdays the guys running those stalls are at the other Glasgow farmer's market in Queen's Park on the South Side.
I agree though, it's be good if they could work out a way to have it every week..

Originally Posted by legslikeaspider

but that site has got 'luxury apartments' written all over it.

I reckon you have a point about the pitch being under-used, legs, but if we are to have a decent pitch, it should probably be of at least 5-a-side size.
Sadly, I bet you're dead right about the site on Byres Road too.

Originally Posted by crusty_bint

SNP are such whores. Good luck to the Friends of Mansfield Park, this little scheme and the people who have given their all to making it happen should be applauded and the nay-sayers given a good slap.

Crusty - if councillors have their voters moaning at them about something, they have to at least be seen to look into it. If the SNP ignored these concerns, there'd be plenty (not yourself of course) only too happy to say "the SNP are shit, they got voted in and now they're ignoring the concerns of their constituents".
I know you don't like them, and that's fair enough, but is there anything any politician can do that we can't paint in a negative light somehow?

[crusty_bint]

they're still whores though, and there's no denying it.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by milton

Macc - it's because on the alternate Saturdays the guys running those stalls are at the other Glasgow farmer's market in Queen's Park on the South Side.
I agree though, it's be good if they could work out a way to have it every week..

Aye, I was aware of that, which is why I said it's a shame it's only twice a month at that location. I'm sure South-siders feel the same. There were also plenty of stall holders that are at Edinburgh farmer's market every week as well, so some of them must be able able to manage at least two stalls. Having a market consistently every week in the same location is more likely to get casual visitors returning, because they just know it's on, and don't have to check their diaries.

[Boards]

I know one of the guy who's in charge of organising the farmers markets, the river festival, Glasgow show etc and he's planning to get a lot more on the go and increase frequency, wouldn't be surprised to see it become more frequent soon.

[maccoinnich]

Good news.

[The Boy David]

I used to play on that pitch all the time (my last flat was sehr close to it), and it was nothing short of a disgrace. I used to see some of the youth teams playing on it on Sundays; they didn't want to tackle for fear of sliding into broken glass/boulders/marshy red ash/giant pot-holes, and they had no idea were the ball was going next if it was played along the deck due to the atrocious surface.

Getting rid of that pitch and replacing it is essential - I've never played on such a mess in my life.


Also, the great astroturf pitch at Hyndland is owned by the school (I think), as such it's almost impossible to get a game there.

[legslikeaspider]

Originally Posted by The Boy David

Also, the great astroturf pitch at Hyndland is owned by the school (I think), as such it's almost impossible to get a game there.

Going off topic here, but nonetheless,

I used to play there every monday night. Great surface too. The guy that organised it said that it was a nightmare getting it booked tho. Because of the PPP thing, the school aren't in charge (or at least, didn't appear to be) of it during after-school hours and he ended up doing a three hour phone chase through the cooncil to get the person responsible. Mibbe its better now, I dunno - haven't played there for a couple of years now.

[The Boy David]

Originally Posted by legslikeaspider

Going off topic here, but nonetheless,

I used to play there every monday night. Great surface too. The guy that organised it said that it was a nightmare getting it booked tho. Because of the PPP thing, the school aren't in charge (or at least, didn't appear to be) of it during after-school hours and he ended up doing a three hour phone chase through the cooncil to get the person responsible. Mibbe its better now, I dunno - haven't played there for a couple of years now.

Actually I think it's still on-topic - the pitch is part of the city's public realm afterall. And I agree - it's a fantastic playing surface in a good area, but as you said its just impossible to get a game there. Admittedly we've never tried to book it (didn't even know where to start) but I can't remember the last time I walked past the pitch and it wasn't being used (apart from at, like, 3 o'clock in the morning).

Thankfully we got to use the pitches at Garscube instead - played a 6's league on the really good imitation grass pitch for a couple of terms - it's easily the best surface I've played on - seemingly Kilmarnock (or Motherwell, can't remember) train on it, the pitch is that good.

What a difference it makes, too, and that's why that god-awful ash pitch should be destroyed.

[legslikeaspider]

Originally Posted by The Boy David

Actually I think it's still on-topic - the pitch is part of the city's public realm afterall. And I agree - it's a fantastic playing surface in a good area, but as you said its just impossible to get a game there. Admittedly we've never tried to book it (didn't even know where to start) but I can't remember the last time I walked past the pitch and it wasn't being used (apart from at, like, 3 o'clock in the morning).

Thankfully we got to use the pitches at Garscube instead - played a 6's league on the really good imitation grass pitch for a couple of terms - it's easily the best surface I've played on - seemingly Kilmarnock (or Motherwell, can't remember) train on it, the pitch is that good.

What a difference it makes, too, and that's why that god-awful ash pitch should be destroyed.

The rubbery pitch at Garscube is just perfect and its Kilmarnock that train there from time to time. Jim Jeffries stuck around after training and watched my 11's team play there one time. I thought to myself 'here's my big chance for stardom' and tried so hard to play well, but I fell on my arse, as usual

[Chief]

Used to play 7's at Garscube every Wednesday when I was still in Glasgow. Without a shadow of a doubt the best place I've ever played football. The surface is immense!

[M_Riaz]

Collage of ideas from GCC DRS of their aspirations on different
public realm ideas for north and south banks of the River Clyde.

[jim.st]

is anyone else getting p####d off with the state of repairs on buchanan st? Benches no longer light up same for the bottom half of the lamp posts, blue lighting at street level never works, uplighting for the trees that are still there never work or have been tarmaced over. and when a slab has been broken of dug up it gets tarmac also . they have just paved the lane that takes you to slones but at the zara end could not be bothered to finish it so guess what TARMAC.wonder if the people who gave the awards to the street a few years ago would be so impressed now.whats the piont of them moving on to upgrade ingram street etc when they dont look after or repair the work done already. sorry about the rant!

[M_Riaz]

Sorry to hear that about the demise of Buchanan st public realm Jim st, i know how you feel.

I had a business in Buchanan st at the time of the revamp and laying of the caithstone insets... it took them nearly 2 years to complete the project, all the businesses that were trading up and down Buchanan st including myself lots £1000's through the revamp with council not compensating any trader for loss of Business + Clientelle.

If council are neglecting to tell companies to re-lay what they take up ...its a bad day! look at the rates businesess have to pay in the city centre... no wonder no independant traders can survive!

Between Buchanan street and George SQ & many other public realms in the city centre the council have badly let the city down in the upkeep and maintaining the Public realms that they have laid.

Fuming