Apartment Project Starts At Last

A delayed apartment project in Glasgow has finally got under way, with Graham Construction beginning the £100 million job on behalf of build-to-rent developer Platform.

The scheme had been delayed, but is not set to be completed in 2023, delivering 500 new apartments in the Clydeside Central Quay area on the banks of the Clyde. The new apartments will come with a rooftop garden and terraces, lounges, games rooms, bike hire club and a co-working area with a café.

Construction workers will need some height safety supplies as they carry out the work on the four blocks, which will range in height from six to 20 storeys.

Discussing the project, regional manager of Graham’s Building division said: “Private rental developments are again increasing in popularity across the UK, feeding a growing appetite of those people who want flexible, sociable and cost-effective living.”

The buildings were designed by Glasgow-based architect firm Keppie and add to the array of new apartment developments that have appeared along the banks of the Clyde in recent years, particularly in areas west of the city centre such as Anderston.

While much of the work will be taking place at considerable height, Glasgow has so far avoided constructing the kind of residential skyscrapers increasingly being seen in other major UK cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Instead, numerous older 1960s tower blocks have been demolished in recent years, with this mode of accommodation often located far from the city centre, isolated from transport and jobs, and widely associated with poverty and crime.

The tallest proposed building could be a 30-storey tower at Portcullis House, adjacent to Charing Cross railway station on the north-western edge of the city centre.

Subject to consultation, Watkin Jones intends to submit a planning application this year, with the scheme involving the construction of 825 apartments on a build-to-let basis.