www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 23
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area needs tidied up. This is a prime site for ship repairs and some of the biggest ships come in, including the QE2. The biggest dry-dock is more than 300 metres, so it is a sizeable facility.” McColl’s company has submitted a planning proposal for this site. However, Glasgow City Council is currently considering a proposal from Dublin- backed investor company, New City Vision, for the erection of mixed use development, including 700 homes, a museum/heritage centre, restaurant, retail, office and hotel uses and associated public realm improvements and engineering works including access, flood prevention, engineering, landscaping and other works. Harry O’Donnell, Chairman of New
City Vision, has said: “This site has been derelict for 30 years. It is an eyesore. Our plans will remove this blot on the landscape and reinvigorate the area by creating long-term jobs and much-needed affordable housing.” The New City Vision
application is being opposed by Historic Environment Scotland and SEPA because it does not adequately assess potential impacts of the heritage site. Mr McColl said:
“One of the visions
we have for Graving Docks is a Maritime Museum, along the lines of the V&A in Dundee. Something that is striking and worthy of the shipbuilding heritage of the Clyde. It does all depend on
The
docks, which are
category A listed, have been lying empty for over 30 years. It is a travesty”
Glasgow City Council. Perhaps they can find another site for the developers who want housing which is not on a Grade A listed site. “If you look at an aerial shot of the area, you have the Riverside Transport Museum, which is fabulous,
and towards the city, the Graving Docks. You would go by water taxi from the Riverside to the Maritime museum with a public area in a wet basin. Alongside, you would have the ship repair facility. This would be done so that people could view repair works from a visitors’ gallery. I could see super-yachts being refitted or larger cruise ships serviced.” Mr McColl also points to Leith
Docks in Edinburgh where the former Northern Lighthouse Board’s tender MV Fingal, is undergoing restoration to become a 23-bed boutique hotel. This will be docked beside the Royal Yacht Britannia. He suggests similar vessels could be an attraction on the Clyde. “There is a large decanting basin at
Govan and we could do something similar on the Clyde. You could see the whole area being re-invigorated, especially now when across the river is the new whisky distillery. “We need some creative thinking about what is happening to the Clyde and how we use it. It must be part of a national maritime strategy for Scotland. We should have a significant museum to reflect the incredible heritage of Glasgow – and perhaps inspire the next generation to become involved in a mini-maritime revival. “It would attract more money into this area and be good for the locals as well,” says Mr McColl.
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