Glasgow City Council to remove 18 trees in bid to improve 'attractiveness and safety' of Dundasvale

Work to remove 18 trees and shrubs at Dundasvale – which the council says will improve the “attractiveness and safety” of the area – is set to start on Tuesday.

A project to revamp Cowcaddens Road and Dobbie’s Loan is under way, with new trees, cycle lanes and wider pavements planned.

Removing “overgrown” vegetation from a pedestrian area opposite Cambridge Street car park which results in “low light levels” will complement the scheme, a council spokesman said.

The work is expected to start on Tuesday, February 25 and last two to four days. The council has said some of the 18 trees are “very closely spaced”.

Around 300 square metres of “dense scrub and shrubs will be removed”.

The spokesman said the work will turn the space into an accessible, pedestrian area and segregated cycle lane with trees and soft landscaping.

Almost 60 new trees will be planted, as well as 2,000 square metres of shrub and planting, as part of the wider revamp of Cowcaddens Road and Dobbie’s Loan, which is being carried out under the Avenues Plus programme, a series of major public realm improvement schemes.

It is hoped the project will transform a “key gateway” to the city centre, providing improved road and widened pavement surfaces, segregated cycle lanes, new benches and upgraded junctions and crossings on both streets.

Expected to be completed in spring next year, the scheme also includes a new pedestrian junction between Buchanan Bus Station and Glasgow Caledonian University, with an underpass between the two to be infilled due to “personal safety” concerns. A new stair will be built.

Rain gardens and the planting of 59 new trees are planned to improve air quality, manage surface water and boost the area’s “look and feel”.

Near the end of the project, a change will be made to the layout at the Cowcaddens Road/Port Dundas junction, with the closure of the north side of the junction to through traffic – with the exception of a permitted southbound only lane for emergency services.

The £21m Avenues Plus work, funded through the Scottish Government via charity Sustrans’ Places for Everyone programme, builds on the £115m Avenues programme, which is backed by the Glasgow City Region City Deal, a more than £1bn infrastructure investment funded by both governments.

Last week, Cllr Angus Millar, SNP, the council’s convener for climate, transport and city centre recovery, said: “This project will see significant investment in improving the look and feel of Cowcaddens Road and Dobbie’s Loan — with new greenery, improved lighting and drainage, and road resurfacing.

“These transformation works at a key gateway to the city centre will connect into the wider Avenues programme and make these streets more attractive for everyone, supporting our ongoing efforts to spur on the city centre’s regeneration.”