Glasgow | River Clyde | News & Developments

[watz]

The building to the left of the image is BT. To the right and behind with red panels is currently under construction.

[Glasvegas]

Bid to extend £10m plan for Clyde cafe culture
by Graeme Murray

AN AREA of cafes and restaurants along Glasgow's waterfront is getting bigger - before it's even started.

Bosses behind the plans to create two-storey pavilions for eateries and bars on the Broomielaw want to extend the project further.

The pavilions are a major part of a multi- million pound regeneration plan to bring life to the banks of the Clyde.

Wilson Bowden Developments and Glasgow City Council originally planned to put the pavilions in a 30,000 sq ft riverside site stretching from Robertson Street, in the City Centre, to Carrick Street, near the Kingston Bridge.

Now they want the development to continue west by a block to reach McAlpine Street.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/d...fe_culture.php

[meagain]

I personally hope this idea gets binned sharpish...it is a real shame we will loose all of the waterfront greeenspace in the city.... albeit the city has allowed the current public amenity to deteriorate badly, this is an asset i think we will regret loosing in the future..
...anyone who remembers the last time cafe society was attempted on the clyde (stephan kings disastrous Pier 39) will know this is a mistake and the mess left around the clyde st suspension bridge is testamont to this!
...the same issues are all still there.... no proven demand, competing with established city centre, lack of shelter from incliment weather, no parking, no feature to draw the massive footfall required ......and both proposed at a downturn in the economy...... seems the only major difference is the scale of the proposals and therefore the scale of the potential cock-up!

the riverfront is already a positive asset the city should be using... if they could maintain some public realm and greenspace.... and stephen purcell should be looking to reclaim some more of our plentiful sites requiring attention elsewhere instead of looking to encourage exploitation of our public amenity space.... botanics, pollok park, riverfront, george square, st enoch square, buchanan street steps etc etc
thats what i think anyway...

[M_Riaz]

Setback after setback from day 1 on this bridge, i wouldn't be surprised if they scraped it alltogether. Nuttall and Halcrow are the same contractors as the squinty bridge!


Herald

Row may delay new bridge opening by a year

A BRIDGE being constructed on the Clyde could come in a full year late amid wranglings between contractors.

The Tradeston Bridge, at Glasgow city centre, was due to be in place by this October but has been delayed due to a dispute over the design specifications.

The Herald understands subcontractor Steel Engineering of Renfrew has refused on at least two occasions to begin fabrication work with the company having accused the main developer Edmund Nuttall of providing designs which were lacking in specific details
As of yesterday, only a fraction of the steel for the project had been ordered, with the remaining 60% still between four and six weeks away from being requested.

A best-case scenario for delivery of the scheme, dubbed the Squiggly Bridge because of its sinuous double curved shape, is now early next year.

However, The Herald understands that one potential scenario could see the bridge delivered as late as autumn 2009 and that officials from Glasgow City Council, which is behind the project, were of the belief that it had been under construction in a warehouse further up the Clyde since last October.

Any delay beyond the original timescale will see the council lose up to £5m of European funding towards construction of the bridge.

Preparatory work on the southern bank quay walls, which consumes a sizeable percentage of the £33m cost of the scheme, has been running six months behind schedule after they collapsed last September.

Edmund Nuttall is currently repairing the Clyde Arc, or "Squinty Bridge", less than a mile up-river.

The £25m bridge was shut less than 18 months after being completed by Nuttall after a support collapsed on to the carriageway.

When contacted about the latest hold-up Nuttall said it was all down to the quay walls issue. But minutes of meetings with the city council show the firm was invited to commence work on the north bank in February and again in March.

Nuttall moved on site yesterday afternoon but is understood to have intimated it wants an extension of several months.

Steel Engineering has another project in the pipeline and may have to take this job if the Nuttall design issue is not resolved by the end of April, kicking the completion date into late 2009. Steel Engineering was unavailable for comment last night.

A council source said: "We've found it hard to get a straight answer on what the problem has been. But Nuttall have been told since the start of the year they could move on site by February but then moved on site yesterday when the council began asking serious questions."

A city council spokesman said: "The council worked with the two main contractors to reorder the programme in such a way as to allow access to the north bank site by February 11 and the south by July 15. It was agreed that fabrication would also take place off site, allowing completion in October."

Nuttall would not divulge details of its dispute with its subcontractor, citing commercial confidentiality.

A Nuttall spokesman said: "There are ongoing discussions with the subcontractor as part of the pre-construction activities. We have now started on site and are setting up cabins. Steel will be delivered on site by next month."

[maccoinnich]

To be honest, I question the need for this bridge. There's a perfectly good bridge only the shortest distance up the river. I can't really imagine who they're expecting to use it. At the moment, there's barely anything to go to in Tradeston, and even if all the proposed development happens there, it'll be entirely residential anyway. It's not as though it's a similar case to London's Millennium Bridge, for example, which links the City of London, and St Paul's Cathedral, to the Tate Modern and Southwark.

A pedestrian bridge between Anderston and Springfield Quay... now that might be useful.

[da brain]

the point isnt surely that theres currently nothing to go to over this bridge, its that it opens a new route to encourage a new destination and a new investment in a run down area. the bridge will be well used once built i have no doubt of that, despite it looking like some cheap folded tinfoil cutout. (in the renders ive seen at least)

[M_Riaz]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

A pedestrian bridge between Anderston and Springfield Quay... now that might be useful.

I hear its to be scraped.

[maccoinnich]

Sorry Mo - I might be being dense - but I don't get you. Do you mean scrapped? And if so, was there a serious proposal for a bridge between Anderston and Springfield Quay?

[M_Riaz]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Sorry Mo - I might be being dense - but I don't get you. Do you mean scrapped? And if so, was there a serious proposal for a bridge between Anderston and Springfield Quay?

Because i sit on my community council board i hear and have feed back on the local issues, GCC drs have still got the proposal in their plans so far, but this bridge was to be a joint venture between the former owners of Springfield Quay & GCC, i had a formal chat with the new owners of the SQ the other day, seems they are not interested in forming a bridge connection from SQ to AQ.

If it does go ahead it would need to be a council project methinks.

And don't get cheeky aboot ma speloin or i'll kickyerheidin tuechter.

[maccoinnich]

Sorry!

[CityGent]

Here's a couple of photos of the Clyde/Glasgow Harbour from my auntie's high flat in Partick:

[The Boy David]

Those are interesting and pretty cool perspectives - cheers for posting them CityGent!

[Glasvegas]

Water lily plan for solar power


The lily-shaped discs would be tethered along the River Clyde

Large lily-shaped discs which harness solar power could soon be seen floating on the River Clyde.

The concept, from Glasgow-based ZM Architecture, has been handed to the city council with the hope that a trial project could go-ahead.

The proposal has already won the firm the International Design Awards (IDA) Land and Sea Competition.

Judges were impressed by the idea that energy harnessed on a river could help reduce a city's carbon footprint.

In the IDA project description, ZM Architecture said its project proposed to stimulate river activity and change by using the surface to harness solar power on a large scale.

The energy created would then be transformed and exported to the national grid.

The firm said the design of the lilypads was "inspired by nature" and they could be tethered to the river bed.

Integrated motors would then rotate the discs to follow the sun for maximum output.

ZM Architecture director, Peter Richardson, said: "We are delighted to be recognised for our commitment to providing alternative energy solutions and are excited about the potential of this idea in a range of contexts."

The company hopes Glasgow City Council will be interested in developing a small pilot project in conjunction with the Science Centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7390663.stm

[GlasgowMan]

Hope that never happens, its pure ugly imo.

Also, what about traffic on the river? who would that get around those? it would put an end to the seaplane services straight away.

[M_Riaz]

£4bn super-carriers order comes to Clyde

THE long-awaited order for the £4billion super- carriers that will guarantee the future of Govan and Scotstoun shipyards was officially confirmed in Parliament today.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said the "necessary alignment of work schedule, commercial arrangements and planned annual expenditure" had been completed.

The news was immediately welcomed by Clyde workers and Scottish politicians.

The work will create or sustain 3500 jobs at BAE Systems' Govan and Scotstoun yards and 10,000 jobs in total across UK at the peak of production.

[legslikeaspider]

Originally Posted by GlasgowMan

Hope that never happens, its pure ugly imo.

Also, what about traffic on the river? who would that get around those? it would put an end to the seaplane services straight away.

I think they look quite cool actually and with a decent lighting job they could look pretty darn funky at night. By the looks of things, they're further upstream than where the wee planes come into 'land'. However, if the science centre is involved then they probably would be up near PQ which might well put the kyboosh up the seaplane service. However, there would probably still be a lot of river for the planes to use in other bits of the city - I think a great spot for the planes would be up at the new riverside museum. As for other river traffic - is there any?

On a similar issue, the science centre have recently erected a small wind turbine next to the millennium bridge. Given that its always so windy down at the river, I'm surprised that there haven't been more of these put up, but maybe the technology is not yet cost efficient. Also, is there enough tidal range in the Clyde to merit some kind of tidal power generation?

[istanbul05]

They're pretty cool. Nature generally comes up with some pretty efficient and functional design solutions and still manages to produce something the human eye almost universally sees as aesthetically pleasing. I'm glad these designers can admit that. No egos in nature, unless you're into intelligent design of course.

[M_Riaz]

Lessons for kids will be plain sailing

THE massive regeneration schemes which have transformed the banks of the Clyde are to become part of the Scottish school curriculum.
Pupils and teachers in the west of Scotland are using the changing face of Clydeside as part of their day-to-day lessons.
And the ground-breaking project will even have its own floating classroom - the former Clyde steamer Kenilworth - which will bring the river to life for the youngsters.
The pioneering initiative is the first time in the UK that a national regeneration programme has become a source of classroom learning - for both primary and secondary schools.
And education chiefs around the world have already been singing the praises of the scheme.

[M_Riaz]

Bd

On the waterfront

Page and Park turn to Clydebank’s shipbuilding heritage to help new businesses

Architect Page and Park has recently completed the £3.3m Titan Enterprise Centre at Queen Quays in Clydebank, near Glasgow, a 2 250 sqm development offering workspace for new businesses to bolster the area’s regeneration.

[M_Riaz]

CONSORTIUM BID TO SAVE ICONIC LINER

A consortium of housing associations, along with Glasgow City Council, local regeneration companies and Anniesland College, have joined forces to try to save an iconic liner and promote her preservation as part of the overall regeneration of the Clyde.

Linthouse, Partick, GHA and Link Group is campaigning to save the SS Empress of Britain, which they fear may soon be sold for scrap.

The liner is the last available transatlantic liner of her type and era which was built on Clydeside. Completed for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1956, she initially sailed weekly from Greenock to Montreal.
Now named SSTopaz, a buyer is needed for the iconic liner, and the consortium has alerted national and local newspapers and broadcasters to the imminent demise of what would be a unique and real monument to Clyde shipbuilding and enterprise.

The consortium hopes that a 'champion' might emerge to fund her purchase her and return her to the place of her birth. Conversion for use as a hotel, leisure complex, conference centre and social enterprise 'hub' would have the potential to contribute to economic regeneration in Glasgow, Greenock or elsewhere in the area.

The consortium's spokesperson, Craig Sanderson of Link, said: “The Empress has had an uninterrupted career as a cruise liner for 52 years, an astonishing record and testament to the excellence of her builders, Fairfields of Govan.

“Growing up in Rothesay, I used to watch her gliding past the Skelmorlie coast - and I'm sure others of a certain age have fond memories of her too. We must not let her go without a fight!

“Sadly, the current members of the consortium are not commercial organisations or experts in the field of ships or hotels and do not have access to the sort of money needed to buy her or fund conversion. So, we need some big hitters to help - if your readers know of anyone who has some £9m to spare....”