And finally… Giant water slide proposed for Glasgow’s Blythswood Square
Thrill-seekers will be able to hurtle down Blythswood Street in Glasgow on a giant water slide as part of new proposals to revitalise the city over the next decade.
The temporary installation would aim to attract visitors to an “otherwise dull and generic street scarcely used by pedestrians”.
The proposal has been included in draft regeneration plans for Blythswood, the fifth of nine frameworks to be drawn up for city centre districts.
Other suggestions include improving links between the city centre and the West End by addressing the divide caused by the M8, re-opening Blythswood Square to the public and upgrading Charing Cross and Anderston train stations.
New photos show how Blythswood Square and Elmbank Crescent could look by 2030. Councillors are expected to back the launch of an eight-week public consultation, starting on January 31, when they meet on Thursday.
Susan Aitken, Glasgow City Council leader, said: “The district regeneration frameworks are key to the development of the city centre over the next decade, and to help shape the area in a way that reflects what we all want, it’s important that as many people as possible take part in this consultation on the Blythswood district.”
The framework states: “Currently, the M8 is designed like a traffic machine. It has a negative impact on the surrounding city. The ambition is to untangle the M8 knot and reduce the negative impact of the motorway ‘spaghetti’.”
Wider bridges with green, play spaces and walls, covering views of the M8, to “reduce the feeling of crossing a motorway” are being considered.
The draft also states Blythswood Square should be a “great urban square” and outlines plans for Blythswood Street Steep Park, an “all-weather urban playground”.
“Blythswood Street is chosen because it is spectacularly steep, provides nice views to the horizon and runs between Garnethill Park, Blythswood Square and the future River Park.”