Council greenlights £1bn university redevelopment

Council greenlights £1bn university redevelopment



Glasgow City Council has approved plans for a £1bn university redevelopment.


The University of Glasgow secured a vote to approve planning permission in principle for the £1bn regeneration of the campus’ former Western Infirmary site.

An initial £430m will be spent on the first phase of the project over the next five years, creating a new learning and teaching hub, business school and performance space for the College of Arts.

The second phase of the project – expected to start in 2023 – will deliver an innovation quarter on Glasgow’s Church Street, a research centre for chronic diseases and a social justice hub to study the elimination of global inequalities.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor at the university, said: “We are delighted that Glasgow City Council has endorsed our ambitious plan which we believe will be a major economic driver for the city and for Scotland as well as [underpinning] this university’s world-leading position.

“This will be one of the biggest educational infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history and is certainly the biggest development undertaken by this university since it moved to Gilmorehill 150 years ago.”

The university claims the redevelopment will transform Glasgow’s West End, bring significant community, economic and environmental benefits, and create up to 3,000 new jobs.

Professor Muscatelli added: “We are very aware that while we undertake this scale of construction that we must minimise disruption to both the university community and the West End, and the university will work closely with community groups to ensure we respect those living and working in the area.”



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