Ambitious plans that will see Buchanan Galleries double in size has taken another step forward. An outline planning application was submitted to the City's Planning Department by the Buchanan Partnership, a joint venture between Henderson Global Investors and Land Securities.

The planning application outlined proposals to extend the existing shopping centre by approximately 65,000 sq m (700,000 sq ft) which would increase the overall size of the scheme to 120,770 sq m (1.3m sq ft), making it one of the largest shopping centres in the UK. The additional retail floor space will be complemented by a new restaurant destination encouraging longer dwell time in the city and establishing Buchanan Galleries as the dominant retail and leisure destination in Glasgow.

The extended Buchanan Galleries will also be complemented by a refurbished Buchanan Bus Station which will act as a ‘gateway’ to the city centre from the north. In addition to the commercial benefits the development will bring, other benefits include the introduction of residential apartments fronting Cowcaddens Road, public realm improvements, the introduction of new public art and new active shop frontages which will respond more positively to the urban environment.

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Other key elements of the planning application include:

•A new atrium entrance at the junction of Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street, creating better access to both the shopping centre and the Royal Concert Hall

•A new multi-storey car park to be built above the existing Buchanan Bus Station, creating a modern transport hub. The new car park will integrate with a redeveloped Concert Square car park to offer a combined total of approximately 2,900 spaces

•New retail frontage onto Buchanan Street, Cathedral Street and Killermont Street

•Enhanced public realm with the introduction of new public art

•A new pedestrian bridge will be created spanning Killermont Street and connecting the retail extension to the new car park

•There will also be a southern extension, infilling the gap between Buchanan Galleries and Dundas House on Buchanan Street

Nick Davis, Development Director of Land Securities, said: “The proposed extension will create larger, more flexible retail accommodation which is currently not available in the city centre. The extension will take Buchanan Galleries to 1.3m sq ft, which will give the scheme the critical mass required to attract new retailers to the city and make the centre one of the premier retail destinations in the UK.”

Glasgow is a retail destination of local, national and international significance, with Buchanan Street the primary retail street. Until recently, Glasgow was second only to London in the UK's retail rankings, however recent large-scale retail development in other cities, notably Birmingham, has seen it slip in position.

An extension to Buchanan Galleries will be a key element in the retail growth of Glasgow city centre, driven by the need to re-establish the city centre as a major retail destination locally, regionally and internationally.

The results of the public consultation, undertaken by Henderson Global Investors and Land Securities as part of the submission, found more than 78% of survey respondents supported or strongly supported the redevelopment. A majority stated the extension to the centre would bring positive benefits to the city as a whole, regenerating the north side of the city (68%).

(CD)