Residents hit out at city apart-hotel plan
OPPONENTS of a plan to build a seven-storey aparthotel in the West End will gather tonight for a second public meeting.
Proposals have been lodged with the council for 77 shortstay serviced apartments and a cafe at 127 Fergus Drive, next to Queen Margaret Drive.
Opponents say the style of the building is not in keeping with its surroundings, in particular, a six-storey blank gable wall, which they say will face directly onto properties.
The development has no provision for additional parking in an area which residents say is already a “bottleneck” with a one-way street system.
CMM Architects, who are driving forward the plans, say the apart-hotel will “augment” tourism in the area but have pledged to listen to residents to try to address some of the concerns.
Hundreds of people have signed an online petition on Change.org calling on Glasgow City Council to reject the plan.
Kirsty Hutton posted: “If you go ahead and build this flat complex, you are compounding your disregard for Glasgow and its beautiful architecture in the West End.
“It is hideous and poorly thought out.
“Too many flats are going up without consideration of how the affect the surroundings.
“Until you make your public transport more efficient and cheaper with subsidies, more and more people will continue to own and use cars.
“That street is already crammed, and you want to potentially add another 77 cars (not counting two-car families) to the area.
“At the very least, please consider adding sculptural artwork and a greenery ‘living wall’ to that ugly blank gable end.”
The proposals will involve the demolition of an existing building, which local councillor Martha Wardrop says is used regularly by arts and theatre groups for rehearsals.
The meeting is taking place at 6.30pm tonight at St Charles Community Room, 1 Kelvinside Gardens.
Residents have until June 9 to raise their objections to Glasgow City Council.