Radical new plans for Finnieston's St Vincent Crescent

In what is a third attempt to build flats at the site, plans have been radically altered from initial designs.

Owners Nixon Blue hope the changes will be enough to satisfy council planners and the campaigners who opposed the initial scheme.

Nixon Blue Director and Architect Colin McIntyre said: “We returned to the drawing board to reduce the height, mass and alter aspects of our original design.

"We listened to the feedback from stakeholders to our previous plans.

"We have reduced the number of apartments to 20 as well as removing two storeys to complement the height of surrounding buildings within the crescent.

"We have, however, retained and expanded our proposal for a new public garden space as part of our £8million investment in the city.

"Our aim is to continue to have an open dialogue with Glasgow City Council and to bring a wider range of three and four-bedroom homes to Finnieston."

An initial application for 39 flats on the protected open space was rejected by the council in 2018 after more than 400 objections were received and an appeal thrown out.

A second attempt was made, reducing the number of flats by three, from 39, and a seven-storey block proposed instead of nine.

Designed by award-winning architects Page\Park, the new design reduces the scale and density to 20 flats and the height of the building is reduced from seven storeys to five.

The proposed building has also been moved back into the site to create a much larger open garden and amenity space to the front of the development for use by residents and the local community.

The new 20-apartment proposal contains a mix of two, three, four-bedroom apartments and duplexes, aiming to attract families and professionals.

Features include a natural stone finish to face St Vincent Crescent and balconies to the front and rear of all apartments.

St Vincent Crescent

Open green space is maximized with a mix of public and private gardens to the front and back.

All parking is hidden in an underground basement.

Working with Glasgow-based firm Page\Park Architects and landscape architects, HarrisonStevens, the team has designed a fresh proposal to help address concerns raised relating to the previous planning application.

Developers say the new proposal has responded to the original 1849 Masterplan for the area created by the Crescent’s architect Alexander Kirkland, which shows the former bowling club area as a site for a residential development as part of a larger terrace.

Lead Architect Chris Simmonds said: “The new application is a completely different design, not only in terms of the position and scale of the proposed building but also in terms of the configuration, layout, and usability of the amenity open space to the north of the proposed residential site and within the general environment of St Vincent Crescent as a whole.

"The result, we believe, is a high-quality proposal with placemaking at its heart, responding to the historic quality of the Crescent.

"The development and significant new garden space will result in a tangible enhancement to the area, completing the original 19thcentury masterplan vision of Alexander Kirkland.”

Nixon Blue estimates the site will see an investment of £8million, supporting more than 100 jobs in the building and construction sector, and will transform a semi-derelict fenced off site.