Land in Glasgow's Woodside could be transformed into new gardens, play areas and allotments

Queens Cross Housing Association has submitted plans to transform land around the corner of North Woodside Road and St George’s Road.

The ‘Making Places’ project would tie in with ‘Connecting Woodside’ — an active travel plan for the area, which includes safer cycle routes.

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The aim is to turn Woodside into “a climate-adapted neighbourhood, creating an attractive, green infrastructure network”.

“We will put the woods back into Woodside,” the applicant claims. “The project is an ambitious environmental, placemaking-led regeneration of the Woodside area of Glasgow.”

Woodside feels “isolated from its surroundings”, the plans state. “The area is cut off from the city centre by the M8 motorway to the south, and by a number of busy roads bringing traffic into the city centre.”

Car parking on footways “blights public spaces” and some of the play areas are “derelict”.

Under the scheme, the “prominence of vehicles will be diminished” and space given to “tree planting, as well as for widened footways and cycleways”.

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The existing Woodside community garden would be expanded, with an orchard and new allotments. At Torridon Court, lock-up garages and retaining walls are set to be removed to allow a “greener, more attractive” place to be created.

Sheltered garden spaces are planned at the corner of St George’s Road and a kiosk — described as an “ugly little building” — will be refurbished and opened as a café with a serving counter and outdoor seating beneath a roof canopy.

Gardens for play, fruit growing and rainwater storage are proposed at Cedar Street and Katherine Court and walking and cycling routes would link to planned ‘Connecting Woodside’ cycleways on St George’s Road.

Private gardens and drying greens would be provided for common close apartment blocks.

The Grovepark Street park would have play areas for toddlers and older children and a games court, with “a humpy-bumpty cycle track through the trees”.

A ‘quietway’ on North Woodside Road would have rain gardens — landscape beds which drain surface water — and “a cycle-friendly route”.  “The aim is to make it an attractive green corridor, with garden play spaces at each end connecting routes to Windsor Terrace and Maryhill Road.

“Windsor Terrace Garden forms an attractive link, and doorstep play space, including edible and wildlife planting. Windsor Street garden will have an orchard, play terrace and flower garden.”

There would be upgraded street lighting at Raglan Street and car parking will be “broken up with new tree planting and planting to help with rainwater management”.

On Braid Street, an orchard and fruit garden are planned as well as a wider footpath/cycleway. The play area at Braid Square would be expanded and orchard planting to the west of Glasgow Club North Woodside would “give seasonal fruit for residents”.

At Oakgrove, a new play area is planned, with exercise stations and woodland.