North Laurieston Masterplan Approved in Glasgow 2026

Key Points

• Glasgow City Council has officially approved the Masterplan for the future regeneration of North Laurieston, a historic area situated on the south bank of the River Clyde near Glasgow city centre.
• The draft document was collaboratively developed by New Gorbals Housing Association, Glasgow City Council, and Elder & Cannon Architects, followed by a public consultation held in the summer of 2026.
• Guided by urban development frameworks for the city centre and south of the Clyde, the initiative aims to repair, reinvigorate, and re-densify the district into a liveable community.
• Councillor Ruairi Kelly highlighted that the strategy provides a vital blueprint to transform vacant land and buildings into a thriving neighbourhood while honouring outstanding heritage assets.
• Core proposals involve bringing listed properties on Carlton Place back to productive use through adaptive restoration, enhancing local streets, tackling environmental decay, and redeveloping vacant gap sites.
• Fraser Stewart noted that the masterplan will complete the 30-year regeneration of the Gorbals, delivering hundreds of much-needed homes, including social housing, while preserving local built heritage.
• Tom Connolly described the initiative as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to blend historic buildings with contemporary architecture, supported by an inclusive, landscaped public realm connected to the riverside.
• Recommendations include setting up a dedicated regeneration Steering Group to develop business plans and secure financing, with the council prepared to use statutory powers if necessary to protect deteriorating heritage properties.
• The Masterplan will be formally adopted as Planning Guidance to accompany Glasgow’s City Development Plan 2.

Glasgow (Glasgow Express) October 1, 2026 — Glasgow City Council has officially approved the comprehensive Masterplan for the future regeneration of North Laurieston, a historic district located on the south bank of the River Clyde close to Glasgow city centre. The draft framework was shaped by a public consultation conducted in the summer of 2026, following collaborative development by New Gorbals Housing Association, Glasgow City Council, and Elder & Cannon Architects alongside local stakeholders and the community.

Guided by wider development strategies for the city centre and the south of the Clyde, the initiative is designed to repair, reinvigorate, and re-densify the area into a functional, liveable district. The plan seeks to balance the preservation of cultural and historic assets with enhanced connections to a reinvigorated waterfront on both sides of the river.

How does Glasgow City Council view the potential of North Laurieston?

Emphasising the strategic importance of the location, Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Depute Leader and Convener for Housing, Development, Built Heritage and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, stated that

“North Laurieston is a unique part of Glasgow, close to both the Clyde and city centre, home to a number of outstanding heritage buildings, and surrounded by and connecting to neighbouring areas recently regenerated or undergoing regeneration.”

Councillor Ruairi Kelly further noted that the masterplan acts as a crucial blueprint to transform the district and realise its full potential by redeveloping vacant land and structures to foster a thriving local community.

What are the core strategic visions outlined in the Masterplan?

The masterplan addresses short, medium, and long-term needs while integrating the area with successfully regenerated neighbouring districts. The principal objectives of the vision include:

• Re-connecting North Laurieston directly to the city centre, Tradeston, New Gorbals, and the wider Laurieston area.
• Reinstating the traditional urban form, tackling gap sites, improving the civic waterfront, and upgrading connectivity.
• Revitalising existing heritage assets, historic streets, and public spaces.
• Re-establishing a vibrant neighbourhood on the city’s South Bank.

What key infrastructure and development proposals are included?

The proposals focus heavily on an infrastructure-first approach, given that much of the development work will be incremental and long-term. Improving the public realm is viewed as essential to building investor confidence and attracting developer interest.

Key actions involve bringing vacant buildings, particularly listed properties along Carlton Place, back into active use through adaptive restoration. The strategy also addresses environmental decay through better land and building maintenance, alongside the redevelopment of underused gap sites.

What role do partner organisations play in the project?

Speaking on the broader community impact, Fraser Stewart, of New Gorbals Housing Association, explained that

“the realisation of the North Laurieston Masterplan is strategically vital. After over 30 years of building, it will finally complete the regeneration of the Gorbals and establish it as the South Bank of the city centre once again.”

Fraser Stewart added that the initiative will deliver hundreds of much-needed homes, including options for social rent, while safeguarding key parts of Glasgow’s built heritage. He noted that residents and businesses have shown remarkable resilience amid decades of decline and deserve a revitalised neighbourhood.

Architectural perspectives were also highlighted by Tom Connolly, Director at Elder & Cannon Architects, who stated that

“the North Laurieston Masterplan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform a distinctive riverside setting into a vibrant, connected and memorable place.”

Tom Connolly explained that the masterplan is rooted in local character, blending historic buildings with contemporary architecture to create a dialogue between old and new. At its core, an inclusive, richly landscaped public realm will link people, buildings, streets, and the riverside.

How will implementation and enforcement be managed?

To drive the regeneration forward, the masterplan recommends forming a dedicated regeneration Steering Group to draft business plans and explore financing sources. The council will collaborate closely with New Gorbals Housing Association, local residents, and businesses.

Additionally, the council intends to work alongside property owners to manage and enhance heritage assets, retaining the option to utilise statutory powers if required to address deteriorating historic buildings and restore them to productive use. The North Laurieston Masterplan will be officially adopted as Planning Guidance alongside Glasgow’s City Development Plan 2 to steer future proposals.

Background of the Development

The approval of the North Laurieston Masterplan marks the latest chapter in a decades-long effort to transform Glasgow’s post-industrial landscape along the River Clyde. Historically a dense and bustling part of the city’s industrial and residential fabric, North Laurieston experienced significant decline, population displacement, and structural abandonment in the latter half of the 20th century. While adjacent areas like the Gorbals underwent extensive phased reconstruction over the past thirty years, North Laurieston retained large pockets of vacant land, gap sites, and deteriorating architectural assets, including notable structures on Carlton Place. The collaboration between Glasgow City Council, New Gorbals Housing Association, and Elder & Cannon Architects represents a concerted effort to bridge the regeneration gap between the completed projects in the Gorbals and the ongoing commercial and residential expansion of Glasgow’s city centre and waterfront.

Prediction on How This Development Can Affect the Local Community and Stakeholders

The implementation of the North Laurieston Masterplan is projected to generate profound economic, social, and physical changes for the local community, property owners, and prospective residents. By adopting an infrastructure-first model, the project aims to instil early investor confidence, which should stimulate private sector development and accelerate the conversion of long-vacant gap sites and derelict heritage buildings into functional commercial and residential spaces.

For local residents and businesses who have endured decades of neighbourhood neglect, the revitalisation promises improved environmental standards, enhanced public safety through active streetscapes, and better physical integration with the thriving city centre and Tradeston. Furthermore, the commitment to supplying hundreds of new homes—including dedicated social housing—will directly alleviate local housing pressures. However, stakeholders and property owners will also face stringent oversight, as the council’s readiness to apply statutory powers on deteriorating heritage properties means private owners must actively maintain their buildings or risk mandatory interventions. Ultimately, the development is positioned to redefine North Laurieston as a premier residential and cultural quarter on Glasgow’s South Bank.