CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
Development pressures over the last twenty five years have mainly been in the southern half of the City Centre - within the Identity Areas of Anderston/Charing Cross (M8 Western Fringe), Blythswoodhill, Broomielaw, the Victorian Business Centre, St Enoch (part) and the Merchant City. These broadly coincide with the Principal Office and Retail Areas and the adjacent Mixed Development Areas.
Plot-ratio along with other urban design considerations, has been a generally effective method of controlling building height and density of new office development. It has helped to avoid over development of sites and to prevent congestion. However, given the variability of the townscape across the City Centre, it is appropriate that the height, scale and density of new development is regulated in such a manner as to recognise these differences of character within the City Centre’s built environment. Plot ratio has also played a part in the preservation and conservation of built form within the City Centre and the Central Conservation Area in particular.
This policy should be read in conjunction with policies IB 4: Business Class Development and CC/DES 2: Identity Areas.
POLICY
1. Plot ratio guidance will apply to all categories of development occurring in the Anderston/Charing Cross (M8 Western Fringe), Blythswoodhill, Broomielaw and Victorian Business Centre Identity Areas. For all other parts of the City Centre, height and density will be determined by the relevant Identity Area guidance and local townscape characteristics.
2. New development in the Blythswoodhill Identity Area will comply with a maximum plot ratio of 3.5:1.
3. New development in the Anderston/Charing Cross (M8 Western Fringe), Broomielaw and Victorian Business Centre identity areas will comply with a plot ratio in the range of 3.0:1 and 5.0:1.
4. Plot ratios that do not comply with the above guidance require to be justified in terms of other urban design policies (see especially CC/DES4: Urban Scale, Height and High Rise Development), and the individual location and circumstances of the proposed development including the particular urban design characteristics of the adjacent built form.
5. Class 4 developments will comply with the plot ratio standards set out in policy IB 4: Business Class Development.