9.15 A number of barriers currently restrict access to the Clyde and prevent it from becoming an integral part of City life. To the east of Glasgow Green, the Clyde Walkway currently provides recreational access opportunities adjacent to the River. However, the route is isolated and lacks the quality and interest to make the experience of visiting it safe and enjoyable. Greater use of the Clyde for boating, rowing and fishing would add to visitor interest and enhance passive security.
9.16 Movement along the riverbank, west of the City Centre, is difficult, unattractive and interrupted at intervals by buildings, structures or ownership restrictions. Of particular concern, is the corridor between the City Centre and the SECC. The area currently comprises an unappealing mixture of uses along Clyde Street and soft landscaping that visually and physically separates the riverside walkway from adjacent buildings and roads. Although the northern edge of the corridor is well served by public transport, including the main Balloch and Helensburgh rail lines, access from the railway is not good. Transport provision on the southern bank is poor.
9.17 Development opportunities along the northern corridor offer scope to restructure the area and develop stronger links between the hinterland and the River frontage. Although road access, via the Clydeside Expressway, to the SECC and the adjoining Glasgow Harbour site is reasonable, the road itself is a major barrier between the riverside sites and adjacent communities. Action is needed to ameliorate the impact of the road and rail corridors on movement between these areas and the residential communities of Yorkhill and Partick. The cost involved is likely to dictate that any action would require to be considered in the context of major development proposals such as Glasgow Harbour.
9.18 West of the City Centre, the SECC, the Clyde Auditorium, and the West End attractions of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Transport Museum and the University, together with the Science Centre and the IMAX cinema, represent a significant tourist cluster. The Glasgow Harbour development should add to this cluster. Unfortunately, movement between these features is not easy.
9.19 Further strengthening of the links between these facilities and the City Centre is needed if their potential is to be maximised. The introduction of ferries and river taxis may offer a viable alternative for travel to and from these facilities, the City Centre and the Braehead shopping centre (now in Renfrewshire). On land, there may be scope for the introduction of a bus/tram route, building on the existing networks and providing convenient links between tourist and employment magnets on either side of the River. Any new development that takes place adjacent to the River should avoid prejudicing potential new transportation corridors.
The City Council, in association with SPT, will review as a matter of priority, the role of the Clyde Corridor in the City’s transport network.
9.20 The Council, Clydeport, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and businesses such as Euroyachts, all have an interest in the current and future well-being of the Clyde. There is, however, no forum at which these parties can discuss the River and agree a strategy for regulating and securing its future use. The success of the 1999 Tall Ships race at Greenock demonstrated the potential of such events for raising public awareness of riverside facilities and the potential commercial spin-off that can result. A forum would allow consideration to be given to the development of a programme of river-based events aimed at complementing the physical renewal of the Clyde and raising its profile within the City. In order to regulate the use of the River and consider how best to realise its full potential, the Council will establish a River Clyde Forum.
The City Council will establish a River Clyde Forum.
