Councillors have given the go-ahead for the £1bn expansion of the University of Glasgow's campus in the West End of the city.
The rubber-stamp for the massive investment was agreed by the full council at a meeting at City Chambers this afternoon.
The Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Professor Anton Muscatelli, said: “We are delighted that Glasgow City Council has endorsed our ambitious plan which we believe will be a major economic driver for the city and for Scotland as well as underpin this university’s world-leading position.
“The decision to approve the masterplan is pivotal to allowing us to start this development.
"An initial financial envelope of around £430m will be spent over the next five years on the first phase of the project.
"It is part of a wider £1bn investment which includes significant spend on refurbishing and improving the existing estate.
"This will be one of the biggest educational infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history and is certainly the biggest development undertaken by this University since it moved to Gilmorehill 150 years ago.
“We are very aware that whilst we undertake this scale of construction that we must minimise disruption to both the University community and the West End and the University will work closely with community groups to ensure we respect those living and working in the area.”
The former Western Infirmary site is to be transformed with new buildings, public spaces and commercial buildings over the next ten years.
A number of conditions are attached to the planning application which the university has recognised and to which the university, it says, is already working towards compliance.
These conditions cover the replacement of trees, landscaping and the retail mix on the site - features which all drew objections during consultation over the plans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asH6FiO2UKQ&t=9s
Watch: Glasgow University welcomes go-ahead in principle for £1bn expansion. Credit: Glasgow University/ Chris James
The first building will be a new Learning and Teaching Hub which will link into the Boyd Orr building on University Avenue.
Planning permission for the L&T Hub was granted in December.
It will deliver a 500-seater raked lecture theatre, four flat-floored lecture theatres and 1,000-plus spaces for learning.
* Featured image: Artist’s impression of the Research Hub – Exterior. Image credit: HOK Architects
