Huge west end planters divide opinion as locals have their say on Byres Road additions

Huge planters added to west end streets by Glasgow City Council have divided opinion among locals.

The white plant pots which have been added to Byres Road, Havelock Street and White Street have split locals, with some saying that they will bring greenery to the street while others believe they are a hazard.

The council say the planters were installed to stop pavement parking following a public consultation which found that some locals wanted more 'green infrastructure'.

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As a solution, the council has installed the planters. However, some residents aren't happy at the additions with some claiming they .create bottlenecks' on the busy pavement.

Scott Khalil wrote: "I stood and watched for several minutes and these created choke points forcing people to bottleneck into a tiny space to get passed then. Bumping into each other. I watched a wheelchair users and prams struggle to get by due to the constant stream of people squeezing through such a tight space.

"One person tripped over a pram. It's absolutely ridiculous to install these at the same time as they begin to enforce the pavement parking."

Charity Just Dive wrote on Glasgow West End: "Drove down that road last week. I have no words The lack of thought. The lack of planning. The sheer ego. Ridiculous.

"Vanity project in the most extreme with zero thought for the community it's in."

Alison Campbell added: "Same as the George Square ones. Totally out of keeping with the architecture. And for those of us who can't walk far the benefit of shopping on byres road was the chance of parking near to your destination."

However, many were in support of the plans to increase greenery in the area.

Darren Scott wrote: "Seems quite a lot of doom & gloom. It will be lovely to have some greenery on the streets & move forward with a more aesthetically pleasing place to live.

"Whilst the Byres Road project seems to be taking a long time I’m sure it will be nice when finished & perhaps offer more space to stroll & enjoy the shops & cafes which can be very crowded especially whilst walking with children."

Aileen Whytock added: "I think the bottom of Byres Road is starting to look great. It's a pleasure to walk down there now. The growing roof on the bus stop looks fab.

"The new planters will stop people using the corners to park on. I seem to remember people complaining that the plans didn't have enough trees and greenery, we can't have it both ways."

Jassi Kaur Kainth said: "Lovely to see our streets becoming more ‘greener’. More please."

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A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “Public consultation undertaken during the design phase of the works currently nearing completion on Byres Road, Church Street and surrounding streets demonstrated that there was support for the introduction of green infrastructure there.

"Unfortunately the abundance of underground utilities in the area meant that the cost of planting trees in the ground was excessive, and that planters represented a more cost-effective means of introducing new trees and planting.

“The planters have not been positioned on Byres Road due to the high pedestrian footfall but have typically been placed on the corners of adjacent side streets where footfall is much lower. The planters have been placed so as to reduce opportunities for pavement parking that would block pedestrian crossing points and hinder visibility. A minimum of two metres width has been maintained to ensure that they do not create a barrier to movement.

“It must be said that the introduction of carefully-positioned street furniture is not the same as the parking of private vehicles on the footway. While street furniture is public infrastructure which serves a wider benefit for the community, the movement and parking of private vehicles on the footway benefits an individual - often at the expense of the safety and comfort of the wider public.”

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