New planning guidance for tall buildings in Glasgow city centre being developed

Glasgow City Council has developed new guidance for tall buildings in the city centre which will influence decisions on their design and locations.

The council guidance aims to make Glasgow’s city centre “more liveable, sustainable and diverse” as it grows.

The new guidance intends to ensure that future tall building developments are “designed and built with care and innovation and complemented by low and medium-impact development”.

Tall buildings within Glasgow are a divisive topic with supporters promoting their benefits in terms of increasing density, reducing urban sprawl and offering opportunities for refurbishment and re-use.

However, others suggest that the developments are unsustainable due to their consumption of energy and resources.

The new guidance comes as a number of tall buildings in the city centre are currently in development such as the Candleriggs and Pitt Street developments, as well as the former Marks & Spencer store on Sauchiehall Street and at Port Dundas Road.

More applications for tall buildings in the city are expected in the future as demand for housing and business space within Glasgow city centre grows.

The new regulations were determined after council officers held a special meeting of the Glasgow Design Panel.

The meeting included architects, designers, developers and civic and heritage bodies, who were asked to offer advice on the guidance.

Public consultation on tall building planning guidance will begin in Spring 2024.

Councillor Kenny McLean, city convener for development and land use at Glasgow City Council, said: “New planning guidance for tall buildings in Glasgow city centre will help achieve our aims of re-populating and re-densifying the city centre in a sustainable way.

“When complete, the guidance will ensure that tall buildings meet design standards and are located only in places that are appropriate to their local setting.”