Glasgow Life accused of ‘cover up’ over stadium
GLASGOW’S culture and sport authority has been accused of a cover-up over plans to redevelop the home of Scotland’s top rugby team. It has emerged that Glasgow Life, one of several arm’s-length organisations of Glasgow City Council, withheld documents requested under a Freedom of Information application that show the extent of a proposal to increase the capacity of Scotstoun Stadium.
A community group said the move “raised significant concerns”.
Bosses of Glasgow Warriors, the Scottish Rugby franchise team who use the venue, are involved in talks with the council over plans to build two new stands at the stadium in the West End of the city.
Issues around seating capacity at the venue have been under discussion for several years now.
Plans involve the rugby club entering a long-term occupancy agreement with the council, estimated at 25 to 30 years, with Glasgow Warriors as the primary tenant with exclusive use and management of the stadium. If given the green light, the permanent capacity at the venue would increase from 4765 to an estimated 14,500.
Full details of the proposal, which has not yet been submitted for planning permission, only came to light after the authority was ordered to release information previously withheld. Glasgow Life initially disclosed only part of the Scotstoun Stadium Redevelopment Project Proposal requested under a Freedom of Information application made by a concerned resident.
However, the matter was referred to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who instructed the release of the entire document including drawings showing the size of the two proposed new stands.
The case has now been taken up by Jordanhill Community Council, which says the document falsely claims the group supports the stadium redevelopment.
The community council’s twopart complaint to Glasgow Life alleges both “misappropriation of use of association with Jordanhill Community Council” and “alleged misleading of a public meeting”.
A spokesman for the community council, which has lodged a formal complaint against Glasgow Life, said: “We were astonished to see the document claim ‘all engaged thus far support the scheme’.
“Jordanhill Community Council categorically refutes that it has expressed any support for the scheme and the associated long-lease agreement. It is very misleading for Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Rugby Union and Glasgow Warriors to suggest otherwise.
“Their document also infers that the proposal was presented at a public meeting in September 2018 but this is not the case.” when you see the scale of the new stands it is little wonder they wanted to keep it quiet.
“To see a proposal of this magnitude that has unequivocally no respect for setting is absolutely outrageous.
“The south-facing Victoria Park allotments are overshadowed by the scale of the proposed north stand, rendering community growing extremely difficult.”
A spokeswoman for Glasgow Life said: “The information released relates to the potential development of the stadium and reflected early dialogue between stakeholders.
“These documents do not and have not ever formed part of any final proposals, nor have they been submitted to any formal planning process or committee.
“As no decision on the proposal had been made, Glasgow Life believed premature disclosure of this information would substantially inhibit the free and frank exchange of views in future. Releasing the information would, in Glasgow Life’s view, damage the quality and effectiveness of a commercially sensitive planning process. However, we accepted the Information Commissioner’s findings and released the information to the applicant.
“Glasgow Life has engaged on numerous occasions with the local community around Scotstoun at public meetings and through other consultation mechanisms.”
Glasgow Warriors was contacted for comment.