Glasgow is set to become home to the world’s first floating leisure village, in a decision announced by Scottish Enterprise.

Floating Concepts Limited, based near Manchester, has been chosen as the preferred bidder to develop the former Canting Basin docks a mile from Glasgow city-centre on the south side of the River Clyde.

The £30 million pioneering proposals from Floating Concepts, designed by Glasgow-based ZM Architecture and specialist water-based architects Baca Limited of London, could create up to 450 local jobs and transform the Canting Basin into a spectacular floating community comprising shops, offices, houses, restaurants, a marina and a roof-top concert arena.

“The iconic nature of a floating village will turn the Canting Basin into a major attraction quite unlike any other in the world, as well as being a dynamic centre for local people and businesses.” said David Beard, Chief Executive of Floating Concepts.

Allan McQuade, Business Infrastructure Director, Scottish Enterprise, said: “The floating leisure village proposed by Floating Concepts Limited for the Clyde’s Canting Basin has the potential to become a vibrant waterfront tourism and leisure destination at the heart of Glasgow’s Pacific Quay.

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“In addition to the anticipated jobs boost it will bring to Glasgow,” continued McQuade, “the development will become a thriving community for local residents and businesses and will directly support the growing creative industry cluster on the Clyde.”

“Scottish Enterprises’ vision for Canting Basin is a break-through in recognising the potential of ‘blue-field’ sites,” said Beard, who is also coowner of Liverpool Marina. “Floating structures can be applied successfully to many areas, including those at risk of flooding or subject to major tidal ranges as we are here on the River Clyde.”

Floating Concepts plans include using cutting-edge design and the latest sustainable technology to create a new canal with a U-shaped floating roadway, comprising a flexible mix of two and three storey glazed office buildings, studio flats and town houses with their own private moorings.

“Pacific Quay is a key location for Glasgow and the west of Scotland having already generated significant development and employment,” says Phil Reid, a Glasgow-based office and business space specialist. “This exciting and potentially world class project around the Canting Basin will bring innovative and desirable accommodation giving further momentum to this part of the river and major benefits for the city.”

To encourage the use of the river for transport and recreational use, the offices and residential units will be marketed with a range of ‘pool’ boats which residents will be able to book on line.

“The development will benefit from the existing footfall generated by the Glasgow Science Museum and Imax cinema and will reinforce and expand the existing leisure and recreational offer there,” believes Beard. “The floating village will also provide an important link between the Media Quarter, home to BBC Scotland and Scottish Television and spark interest and boost land values for the regeneration of the Govan Docks to the west.”

“So far, most of the new developments at Pacific Quay have been state dependent. If the people and business community of Glasgow want this to happen and get behind us, it can be delivered, despite current market conditions. They need to ‘will it’ to happen."

(GK)