Writer
Work is set to begin on several projects involving tree removals on University Place, Dumbarton Way, Dumbarton Road and the interface with Kelvingrove Park throughout the coming months. This is part of the University’s £1 billion campus development framework and in line with consented planning approvals.
The project is said to be following feedback gathered through an extensive public engagement programme over the last few years which has stressed the importance of providing new greenspace, and a desire for high quality landscaping; ensuring that the campus is both a pleasant and enjoyable place to be.
Despite the potential negative effects imposed by forthcoming tree removal activities, which are considered vital for the delivery of key infrastructure and access for the Western site, the framework poses to plant more than twice as many trees as it removes as a means of compensation over its course.
An aim of integrated sustainability appears to remain at the core of this vision, as can be seen from the very foundations of the new campus project laid in 2016 with the completion of a multi-million-pound project to install and energy efficient district heating system. The results of this project have been stated to cut the University’s carbon emissions by as much as 5000 tonnes per year.
With pedestrians as the key priority in this new public realm, the project has already begun work on a new pedestrian route, from the Kelvin Hall and Kelvingrove Museum into the heart of our campus, which links Byres Road directly with Dumbarton Road. The project also hopes to deliver two new ‘super-crossings’ and introducing a 20mph speed limit. Set for location in the area surrounding the new James McCune Smith Learning Hub and the University’s Main Gate, known to receive high pedestrian flows, these measures aim to prioritise safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Granted final planning consent in 2018, the projects public and environmental sustainability priorities appear to remain pressing persistent priorities, with an overarching aim to deliver significant new public outdoor spaces including a formal civic square, tree lined streets and rain gardens which feature biodiverse rich plant species.
