Finnieston residents have secured a “great victory” over developers after a third bid to build homes at St Vincent Crescent was rejected.

City planners have turned down Nixon Blue’s scaled-back proposal for the Corunna Bowling Club site.

More than 360 objections to the application — for 20 apartments — were received by Glasgow City Council.

The developers, who had reduced the number of flats from 36, argued the “fresh approach” would have a “positive and transformational effect”.

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Glasgow Times:

But council planning chiefs refused the application, ruling the site is protected open space and contributes to the “character and appearance” of the St Vincent Crescent conservation area.

They also decided the applicant had failed to show the existing club was “incapable of viable repair and re-use” and that the proposal didn’t reach privacy standards.

In total, 366 objections were submitted, including from local councillors — the SNP’s Angus Millar, Lord Provost Philip Braat, of Labour, and the Greens’ Christy Mearns.

Cllr Millar said: “It was always clear that the bowling green site is protected green space and not suitable for development, and that the proposals would negatively impact on the historic conservation area.

“This is a great victory yet again for residents who have stood against development, and I hope discussion about the future of the site can now focus on its values as an open space for the community.”

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Glasgow Times:

Lord Provost Braat, speaking in his role as a local councillor, said: “This new application did nothing to dispel the community’s concerns, again ignored the designation status, and simply tinkered at the edges of the previous application.

“The local residents association and wider community have been resolute in their efforts and I am pleased that their concerns have been heard.

“I hope that the developers and the community can now come together to find a lasting outcome for the site, which will have genuine community benefits.”

Bailie Mearns thanked the community for its “immense efforts” in “standing up to these developers”.

“I just hope that now, after numerous failed attempts, these developers will move elsewhere to realise their project and leave this community to get on with their lives,” she added.

“A planning system that affords developers the right of appeal but not communities has allowed the frustrating situation where planning applications keep coming back for approval time and again, despite being refused on clear and compelling grounds.”

Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community Council, St Vincent and Corunna Residents Group, the Friends of St Vincent Crescent Conservation Area, Alison Thewliss MP, Patrick Harvie MSP and Kaukab Stewart MSP also opposed the plan.

The applicant had met with council officers in December last year and was advised the open space issue would need to be “satisfactorily” addressed.

Planning officials decided the development would result in “an unacceptable loss of protected open space”.

In a report, they welcomed the reduction in scale and “quite high” quality of the apartments. “Nevertheless, this is not enough to outweigh the fundamental land use principle and conservation area issues,” they added.

The report concluded: “We again cannot support the re-development of this site for residential use, the third time GCC Planning has now reached this same recommendation since 2018.”

The first application from the developers, for 39 flats, was refused in 2018 and then dismissed on appeal.  A second bid was submitted in 2020 but withdrawn before a decision was made. The latest scheme dropped the height by two storeys from nine to seven and included a larger public garden.

Plans stated the applicant “believes the latest proposal addresses all of the matters of concern expressed by the planning authority”.

“In particular, the applicant believes the fresh approach to the proposed development would have a positive and transformational effect on the area which, at the moment, has a less than satisfactory feel in terms of placemaking and general environment and the western end of St Vincent Crescent.”