Public nominations and comments from 2007

Skip to: Pock Mark Award, Zit Building Award

Plook on the Plinth Nominees

Most Dismal Town

New Cumnock

Area: Town Centre

Reason: Nightmare of a place. I know there are economic issues there - but for heavens sake the setting is great and all that seems lacking is ambition on the part of local planners

Nominated by: gordon

Coatbridge

Area: Car Park and Asda Building in the centre of town

Reason: This is the most miserable and dingey place in Scotland that I can possibly think of. The whole town is dreadful to be honest, but this area is especially depressing. It's a big concrete block of a place, and while money has been spent to try to make the ASDA building slightly more attractive on the eye...but that's been a complete failure as well. Horrid.

Nominated by: Town Cryer

Comments

Coatbridge (Whiflet especially) is one of the worst places i've had the misfortune to work in! If a towns redeeming factor is that it has a retail park, then you know its in a sorry state. Someone on the news mentioned recently that Drumpellier Park was a good thing about Coatbridge, yeah a good place to go to escape Coatbridge (for a short while at least)!!

Guy fae the 'Nauld

It's easy to go to any town in any part of the UK and find an ugly picture to post on a website. Coatbridge has lots going for it, move 50 yards in front of the picture posted or turn the camera around 180 degrees and you will find a prettier picture than this! Walk a quarter of a mile across and you will find the brilliant award winning Heritage Park. A further mile away takes you to Drumpellier Lochs. People travel from all over Lanarkshire and beyond for family days out in Coatbridge. The person who took the picture quite clearly doesn't know anything about the town.

Ally, North Lanarkshire

Libraries; the Time Capsule; several well kept parks; shopmobility; and wonderful people make Coatbridge a great place to live.

vc, coatbridge

What terrible place coatbridge is i grew up there and am so glad to have moved away it has nothing going for it.I was back recently and nothing has changed from when i left.A dull depressing dreary place.

KM

Coatbridge is not such a bad place to live, it boasts better facilities than all of the surrounding towns, and I can say I enjoy living there! As with anything there's always room for improvement and I'm afraid that the snapper was being kind with his image, less than a few hundred yards away is some of whats left of the Monklands canal, as this runs so close to the town centre you'd expect the council to maintain it, and they did for a time...however..... as you can see from my image its a trolley park. There was a lot of money spent improving the pavements around the town but there are so many areas which could have benefited from some additional work. Summelee Heritage park is superb, as is Drumpellier and the other remaining parts of the Monkland canal. ASDA andn the bridge that cross the main road could both do with a serious facelift.

Paul Hewson

This is a prime example of where agencies perpetuating to act on behalf of the common citizen pass planning applications without looking at the bigger picture. This is why so many people shake their heads at Scottish Enterprise which does nothing to support small local businesses. What ever happened to 'joined up thinking, economic sustainability and community', the so called buzzwords of the new millenia. participation. If people are a product of their environment then lets change coatbridge before we see another generation of lost causes.

tariq aslam

It has the potential to one of this country`s next city but is doing nothing to improve it`s infrastructure. For a town that has SIX train stations, not one gives you a link to the nations capital!

Chris McGeough

Chippies, kebab shops, (bad) pubs, bookies, pound shops, fast food outlets, traffic nightmare, North Lanarkshire Council, time capsule, the condition of the car park at Tesco, Tesco, bingo halls, the smell of fags if you roll your window down on the way through, Hue & Cry, Circus visits the town - although you wouldn't notice, I could go on.

craigmcm

The whole place is depressing. It contains the worst Asda store in the country, The whole lot needs to be bulldozed and rebuilt. The vast collection of discarded beer cans and empty Buckfast bottles where the Monkland canal used to be has to be seen to be believed.

Gordy

The ASDA walkway and surrounding area is an absolute disgrace. The whole building is dingy, brown and hasn't changed in 30 years. It brings down the entire main street. I've lived in this town my whole life and the past 35 years have been nothing but a disappointment in terms of regeneration. New buildings like the Quadrant haven't made a bit of difference. Years ago the local paper coined the phrase "the doughnut town with no centre" because the town centre was so devoid of shops. Nowadays, if it isn't a charity or pound shop it doesn't last. The ASDA building should never have been built right in the centre of town. From the day it opened the town has gone downhill.

Helen

I've been in the building trade for 50 years and why the main street hasn't been torn down and rebuilt from scratch is beyond me. It's just disgraceful. The main street is poorly tended, the parks aren't cleaned, the Dunbeth and Whifflet flats look awful. Buildings like the old labour exchange and public baths have been left to god knows what (except from the public) and the old Coia building has been derelict from around the 1950s. The police station and bus stop area round the back of ASDA is depressing and dull. Albion Rovers football club grounds aren't much better! The old RB Tennent's works is still a derelict wasteground. Shops close and lie derelict for ages, or become firework vendors around about October! The canal pond has become a waste pit form Bucky bottles and no amount of pedestrian improvements and revamps will change the fact that the council has let the town down.

John

Quite possibly the worst supermarket building in the UK. Dingy, brown, poorly maintained and the main building, car park area and main street offshots completely dominate the town. Depressing, dull and in drastic need of replacement.

Angela

awful railway bridges, empty shops, derelict buildings, high-rise flats, asda's miserable looking bridge, the list is endless. but worst of all the town is full of councillors who can't accept the fact that their town is a total disgrace and try to make it sound great.

debbie faulkner

Depressing town, filled with charity shops and broken Buckfast bottles.

Yvonne

There are worse places to live I suppose, but the main street has seen better days

Sharon

Dreary, dingy, empty Buckfast bottles everywhere, secterianist activities and too much concrete.

Matti Glover

the place has few green places and is getting too many houses and roads built over it

Nominated by: peter

No good!

Jane

So we don't have to stare at green algae as the sun beats down on this lovely feature with a trimming of local rubbish of the outskirts. Argh!

Nominated by: Patrick McBride

Reason: Dingy looking main street and poor town planning

Nominated by: Lizzy

Paisley

Area: Town Centre

Reason: The planners responsible for modern day Paisley should be shot. There is potentially a very nice town trying to get out from under their lousy decisions. But as it is, it looks like somebody has dropped Paisley - and all the nice bits have been scattered asunder. But if what went during the 60s was not bad enough - with projects that saw the Cart being paved over for a shopping centre - today the town has not learnt from past mistakes. The refurbishment of a great old mill over looking the river for example, have been ruined with the development of a superstore right next door. How depressing. Give this award to Paisley. Embarrass our civic leaders into sorting this disgraceful mess out.

Nominated by: Buddy

Comments

The irony is that the Labour Council responsible for the state Paisley is in were voted out of office at the last election and are now mouthing off about how the new Council aren't acting to sort out the mess - despite the fact that they've been in office 6 months and are trying to reverse a decline that started 20 years ago.

HonkieB

agreed. I think it was short sighted of them to go to all that effort of putting down new paving and the outdoors shower at county square, when the retail areas surrounding it are shabby, and looking at the end of Paisley at the end of the High St. Why haven't they started looking at ways to improve that ? The buildings and area there, look ill and maybe past the point of rescuscitaton.

j campbell

many beautiful buildings - coats memorial, museum, library, being obscured by modern buildings which are now emptying because it seems no businesses want to be in this town. Mismanagement and lack of vision.

geraldine payne

Over use of concrete in building the renfrewshire HQ many years ago, the mish mash of mis planning on the High Street - uni building, the shops themselves, Paisley Centre, etc. obscuring the Coates Memorial Church, library, museum, etc. No thought of how to incorporate properly, the older buildings with the new, and no ideas seem to be forthcoming in stopping traditional trades - a framer - going out of business to an internet cafe which isn't needed. Powers that Be seem to be stuck in a timewarp as Internet Cafes are a thing of the past and never last.

Eddie McClaren

What was and could be again a great town with some beautiful buildings has been ruined with extremely poor council planning that first pedenstrianised most of the town making it feel earily quiet with little parking in the areas you can drive into and no incentives to visit and then lets the likes of Braehead and Silverburn shopping centres be built next to the town which is just about the final nail in the coffin of Paisley.

Nominated by: J. Gordon

Paisley town centre is a living tribute to East Germany. The "bus depot" is a miserable row of stances under a parking garage where your only visual diversion is watching the netting under the railway bridge trapping thousands of pigeon feathers and dead pigeons. There is some sort of local ordinance against bright, modern signage and fresh coats of paint, and some businesses are quite happy to operate with huge chunks of masonry missing from their storefronts or no signs at all. The major local car park is an grassy concrete wasteland between decrepit tenements. The main street is a tribute to dodgy pound shops and "everything must go" sales, and it all shuts down like a ghost town at 4:59 PM. As for the old boys' club AKA the town planners, they're so self-absorbed that they couldn't attract a single operation to fill the Arnotts department store space which has been vacant for four years, nor have they been able to prevent the shutdown of half of the Paisley Centre. Rather than redeveloping the town, they prefer to whinge about everything being Braehead's fault. Someone needs to tell these arrogant power brokers that that's how business works, and if they knew anything about being competitive rather than whinging and blaming and then demanding their handout of public "regeneration" funds, Paisley wouldn't be in the state it is today.

Can't say

Possibly the wort place ever junkies whores neds and looks like someone just thought lets dump this here

Wouldnt you like to know

Reason: the whole area is very bleak and dismal.

Nominated by: alan

Used to be vibrant with variety of shops. Now very depressing. No individual character. Chain stores. Agressive beggars.

Jack Mckenna

Dull, dowdy and rundown.

John

everything

Linda McWhinnie

Its a total mess and Love St is a Dump

Inverclyde

Never seen such a run down place in Scotland so badly laid out

Sean

Remember being excited about shopping in Paisley when I was young - not any more. No shops, horrible buildings, neds galore, grafitti, litter...

Jacqui Massie

it is horrible with little shopping. Some of the buildings the old ones are needing some serious attention

sandie mackay

its horrible

sheila mackay

serious lack of shopping facilities and any modernisation has been done on the cheap

Joan.Mc

Too awful for words

Nominated by: jono

The ring road is a disgrace and is embarresssing as the buildings need refurbished

chrissi

Failure of public sector to deal with gap sites and areas that encourage anti social behaviour. Access to shopping is poor also

Greenock

falling down, very depressing

Caroline Fraser

streets need cleaned - very messy

Nominated by: Sandra Blair

A very depressing place - bleak and miserable

Ciaran

The traffic managment system and signage takes visitors round in circles. Most unwelcoming. clearly they don't like visitors and the secrets of how to navigate round the town are restricted to residents only.

Anthony Blair

Shopping mal is a huge white elephant and even on a saturday afternoon the place is a ghost town!! No atmosphere.

Donnie Gaull

The town should be making the most of all the new people that are moving to the area instead it is like a ghost town.

Anon

No bus station, no heart, dirty

craigilie

Run down !

Lachlan.

Alloa

Area: Everything

Reason: Everything

Nominated by: Marc Campbell

All the way from Linlithgow to Glasgow - on the B roads

Area: the illusion

Reason: Take the scenic route along the B roads from Linlithgow to Glasgow. Not so scenic. The names of the towns and villages sound quite picturesque. The places are anything but.

Nominated by: The Passion

Wishaw Town Centre

Area: Lack of any positive changes

Reason: For a long time Wishaw Town Centre has been slowly "dying". Despite this, and with North Lanarkshire Council having an "Action Plan" only small interventions have taken place and respresent only the surface of the problems. Shop units are constantly changing from one thing to another as small businesses do not have a chance of making a go of it because people are put off by the lack of decent shops and the dingy look of the place. It is time for Wishaw to reinvent itself! But it need some real help to get there! The new town centre development at Ravenscraig will undoubtedly bring positive changes to the whole area but please do not forget about Wishaw, it has always been the poor neighbour of Motherwell and things will only get worse.

Nominated by: Can't Say

Comments

Now you know how the residents of Cumbernauld feel. And the ravenscraig 'New Town' will not help Wishaw, instead it will turn it into a ghost town. People will shop in the new shopping centre, then they'll prefer to live there. You're only benefit maybe jobs - if they put in the right transport infrastructure!! Then again this is NLC!!!!

thunder

It`s not called Pishy Wishy for nothing !

Rod

Wishaw must be the worst town in scotland and needs to be flattened and rebuilt.If you go out at the weekend at pub closing time you would think you had wandered onto the film set of "The night of the living dead".

long-time suffering resident.

Its not too late to save Wishaw, hopefully it will be put into the shortlist then maybe someone will sit up and listen. I lived in Wishaw for several years (on the main st) and while the place is a tip the people are friendly and upbeat, they deserve better!

Lee

from long-time suffering resident, Wishaw must be the most depressing place to live in and as for lees comments about the people being friendly(lol)he needs to get out more often.

long-time suffering resident

I have been a resident of wishaw for most of my life ,what I find really disturbing is when your walking up wishaw main street , crossing the road at kenilworth avenue is the amount of drug users waiting outside the lloyds chemist to go in for their methodone it really is quite frightening is there no other way of entering the chemist so as not to make people walking up or down the street feel so intimidated ?

concerned gran

A good nomination. A dead town centre with only charity shops, hairdressers and cafes thriving. The new Tesco will kill any small shops left, and the rerouting of the main street toensure that the traffic goes past the said Tesco will be the coup de grace. A dreary failed town.

megrim

full of charity shops and cafes and not much else

v

Jack McConnell should be ashamed.

G

Wishaw is in dire need of a plan. I lived there for 23 years before moving with work to England, on a recent visit I spent all of 10 minutes in the town centre, and that was only to get a sandwich. There are no decent shops, no amenities and no future.

Chris

I agree with most of the comments.Wishaw is in dire need of new investments, with the new Ravenscraig plans Wishaw will be ignored again.Shame on North Lanarkshire DC IT should be top of the carbuncles

grimlady

Home town of former first minister Jack McConnell but you would have difficulty finding his office among the boarded up shops and take aways. However it is just around the corner from the new 24hour Tesco which has been allowed to close local roads 'to improve traffic flow' , not suck the last of any life out of what is left of the dismal main street.

Wishaw resident.

the council are putting all their eggs in the one basket.To subsidie the Ravenscraig. You cant turn a corner in Wishaw or surrounds without seeing the Council selling land,mostly former greenbelt to fill their empty coffers

alastair scott.

Total neglected by the council for the last 30 years, and constant road works which blight the town and deter visitors. it is being made worse by a one way system with no other reason than to force all the traffic to drive by the supremely huge and ugly new Tesco, a decision which will destroy what's left of local shops and complete the destruction of the town.

KB

A whole main street of boarded up and closed down pubs and shops, with even the recently gerrybuilt built cinema and adjacent Quicksave being boarded up and shut. The Anvil Flats with the shut down Harvie's Pub and the council offices are particularly depressing.

An unfortunate resident.

Wishaw used to be full of specialist shops from butchers and bakers to bespoke jewlers and designer clothes but even now the few remaining quality shops are struggling against poor local government and supermarkets who are only interested in profit. Wishaw needs to be taken from the hands of management heavy NLC and privatised NOW.

AuldNick

Kilmarnock

Area: The wasteland between John Finnie street and The Foregate

Reason: It is a failed attempt at regeneration that has left a whole street of empty shop units to let and a huge chunk of undeveloped wasteland

Nominated by: Rhi S

Irvine

Area: town centre

Reason: poor planning,ugly shopping centre, money grabbing landlords mean vacant shops, inactive council etc etc etc

Nominated by: sfg

Comments

A terrible, souless town centre with a horrendous crumbling shopping centre found attractive only by the pigeons who frequent it. Made worse by an innactive Council and half empty shops.

Alex B

Bishopton Renfrewshire

Area: Former R.O.F. Buildings

Reason: An eyesore in the area. Yet some residents would rather have it this way than look at alternatives such as using land for new housing, amenities etc. I feel they are more interested in the value of their own houses rather than the good of the community

Nominated by: AJ MacEachen

Yoker, Glasgow

Area: Dumbarton Road/Glasgow Road

Reason: I drive along this way to go to Clydebank and I absolutely detest it, there seems to be some generation going on along side the clyde but across the other side of the road you still have old outdated buildings, a just can't see this area getting any better.

Nominated by: Ceecee

Glasgow

Area: Gallowgate

Reason: the council seems to be trying to reinvent the area as an up-and-coming place, however as long as it remains the hang-out of every jakey, ned, drug dealer and prostitute in Glasgow then all the plans are for nowt!

Nominated by: Stromboli

Comments

I think the same aswell, the Gallowgate is a total disaster

Me. . . .

Dunoon

Area: Queen's Hall and Breakwater

Reason: Whilst it may seem to some as a pretty Victorian seaside town, and yes parts of it are. The approach to Dunoon leaves a lot to be desired and is an example of planning and political madness. The 1960's Queen's Hall Building is dilapidated and has been allowed to wither with badly produced signage hanging limply. The waterfront is a mess from Argyle Street along to John Street with an ill-conceived swimming pool, derelict land and untidy rear's of the main thoroughfare. If none of this wasn't bad enough, the jewel in Dunoon's crown, one of the last seaside Victorian piers is being allowed to decay. Sorry, how silly of me, they spent a lot of money building a new breakwater and linkspan to protect the pier - the fact that no ferries, boats, ships or even seagulls are using it is, of course, irrelevant!

Nominated by: Anon

Comments

If Dunoon is as horrendous as this person describes it, then there must be a lot of places which are worse. This speaks for itself, by the number of families who are choosing to relocate to Dunoon.It is most definitely not as bad as this person describes.

Jim Crow

Glasgow

Area: Royston Road

Reason: The road itself is so dated, with the derelict house onto of the shops, all that is in site is a large patch of grass which is full of empty bottles of drink from the know alkies that surround the place. . . They are developing brand new back and front house just up the hill form that and that part is nice, hopefully they will start work on the shops/ house surrounding the road

Nominated by: Izacc

Pollok

Area: Silverburn shopping centre

Reason: It's weird looking and lacks soul

Nominated by: Jenny

Ruchill, Glasgow

Area: Ruchill Area

Reason: Over the last couple of years we have seen regeneration within this area. However, I feel this place will never be somewhere that I would choose to live no matter how good this area will look on completion. The people who occupied this area have not gone to other areas but have simply been re-houses in to the new built homes therefore I think that the place will still be an area of poverty i.e. full of junkies, lots of neds and crime. I feel sorry for anyone who buys a property especially the price they will pay to end up living in a s**t tip in a few years time.

Nominated by: Ceecee

Girvan

Area: Harbour

Reason: Girvan was once a great wee traditional fishing port with a friendly aspect. Sadly the place has been left to rot like the carcass of a dead fish!

Nominated by: Trawler

Granton Harbour and Leith Docks

Area: Hard to say

Reason: This area was promoted as the modern equivalent to the New Town - in fact it has exposed how completely toothless and headless the planning machine is in Scotland. With the exception of the Reiach and Hall and Elder and Cannon's Upper Strand housing scheme (which is good) the area is awash with disappointing buildings - an given that its a wasteland - that is quite an achievement.

Nominated by: Claire

fort william

Area: sea front

Reason: it should be really senic but has been badly planned and executed. it could be fantastic, the Rivera of the north, but no. Costa del Nupty instead

Nominated by: Patrick

Glasgow east

Area: Parkhead cross

Reason: Have you ever stood still in glasgow and looked up - we have some of the most beautiful building and architecture, shame it is above a chippy, off license, spar, another chippy, chinese, bookmakers....you get my point. Glasgow's parkhead cross has such beautiful buildings it's just a shame that there is not one close door that isn't grafitted to within an inch of it's life. Ned's have no appreciation!

Nominated by: ANON

Comments

I would have to agree. I recently took out a book called glasgow old and new and the change is horrendous. Glasgow is well know for having some of the best victorian arcitechture but they cant help but ruin it with their obselete and chep tower blocks and tacky shops. How embarrasing for Glasgow.

Craig

Carnwath

Area: The Main Street

Reason: Dismal, like going back in time, to a time that is better forgotten. The best thing that could be done is build the Carnwath bypass, and anyone who had to travel in that direction would not need to go through Carnwath, and it could sit there contentedly in an age long gone by.

Nominated by: Margaret

Newton Mearns

Area: Soul Less

Reason: Possibly the wealthiest per head in Scotland, but rows and rows of little boxes. No strategic planning, no quality architecture, and worst of all no pubs.

Nominated by: Andy Wilson

Cambuslang

Area: Main Street and flats and houses being built on every available space

Reason: I have lived on the outskirts of Cambuslang for most of my life, as have at least 3 generations before me. The main street is full of take-aways shops, pubs and all manner of two bit shops, most of them with ugly frontages (same on you South Lanarkshire Council for allowing this to happen). Not only that but there seems to be a flats now being built on every available space, with no rhyme or reasoning on where they are built or how they fit into the surrounding area (Again, same on you South Lanarkshire Council). Are children not allowed to play anymore? Doesn\'t anyone realise that the roads in Cambuslang and surrounding areas cannot maintain this influx of people. And don\'t get me started on what was our beautiful park! (Again, what the heck are we paying our Council Tax for!!!!) I have attached a photo which is typical of the faceless type of housing being built.

Nominated by: Elaine Smith

Partick

Area: Dumbarton Road

Reason: Used to be a vibrant place full of energy, life, and people drawn from all over mixing together to give Partick a truly unique and Glaswegian identity. People used to go shopping here. Now they just take their old junk and dump it on some unsuspecting shop run by kindly but weary volunteers to sell for a couple of pounds. Probably because they feel so guilty just looking at thier surroundings. Full of run-down old shops which have seen better days and more money and literally filled with charity shops and plastic-things-you-can't-use-twice for under a pound shops with their shabby fronts and hoardings. Meanwhile, they continue to plough millions into the world's newest ghost town just metres away at Glasgow Harbour with it's very attractive "no amenities, no facilities, no residents yet" policy. About the only businesses that are doing well in the area are the bars and off-sales which have an ever increasing customer base. Not surprising really, it's enough to drive anyone to drink. Aye but here's the rub: No-one but your average millionaire could afford a house there these days. Maybe they're hoping all the working class and original residents will move out before they spend any money on anything else but overpriced accommodation.

Nominated by: Fitzer

Patna

Area: All of it

Reason: Dingy dreary horrible place

Nominated by: Doomster

Auchterarder

Area: Caledonian Crescent

Reason: Houses that should have been on the 'Footballers Wives' TV show or next to an airport runway. If you need cheering up take a drive down the crescent and wallow in you own good taste.

Nominated by: Janet Denholm

Motherwell

Area: The 1970s pedestrianised centre

Reason: Failing dismally after the Asda relocation,the only thing flourishing is the chewing gum on the paviours! Are there any buildings of architectural interest left in Motherwell?

Nominated by: juliet

Comments

Concrete Monstrosity that North Lanarkshire wastes money on.

Boab

Castlemilk

Area: All of it!

Reason: The whole area is grey, dull and uninteresting. It inspires no positive feels within it's residents, (unless looking forward to LEAVING is a positive feeling?) At the top of Carmunnock hill there is a new housing estate with lots of modern houses. The problem is that these have been built so cheaply they will literally fall apart within 3-4 years! There is no community spirit within the area (Can Buckfast be counted as a spirit?!), it has been over-run by povery stricken alcoholics / junkies and neds. There is a lack of shops, parks (the graveyard which is used as a football pitch), and the area is generally boring to live in. I'm not surprised so many of the younger generations binge drink, fight or take drugs as a way of escaping. A place I certainly wouldn't walk through during the day, let alone after dark!

Nominated by: Littlerich

Livingston

Area: Retail centres

Reason: Planning and design by apathy with a side order of unimaginative vision. The people are not considered at all in the Livingston masterplan. A town ruled by the car with no thought to the use of public spaces outside the core shopping hours. Where’s the Piazza with café’s bars and restaurants? Where is the public performance space and public art? Where is the street you can walk along and enjoy the sunshine whilst you shop? Where’s the imaginative use of external lighting to make the spaces useable all year round. 10/10 for making money from travelling shoppers 0/10 for making the experience worthwhile. A fantastic oppertunity to make the best town centre in the central belt outwith Edinbburgh and Glasgow wasted.

Nominated by: Alex McDonald

Cumnock

Area: Shopping centres, bus station, health centre

Reason: See Cummnock and weep. Terrible developments such as the shopping centre, a few short steps from the old town centre have ripped the soul out of this place. Even though the shopping centre is some years old surely there is no excuse for not sorting it out now? It seems geared to bringing the worst of the inner city into a rural market town. The giant car parks near the health centre and bus station also help add the effect that the old town centre is simply a round-about. This town could be a real gem. It is time East Ayrshire were embarrassed into sorting it out.

Nominated by: Anon

Comments

I agree, this place is a dump. Truly dismal. Whilst I think the New Cumnock nomination is a bit unkind - that town has failed through no fault of its own - Cumnock itself has real potential. Its problems are down to bad planning and incompetence,

Tony T

I totally agree, Cumnock has been left to rot for too long!!

Angry in Cumnock

Pock Mark Nominees

Worst Planning Decision

Ravenscraig

Area: North Lanarkshire

Reason: I fear that bad planning may turn this development into a future contender for The Plook on the Plinth!

Nominated by: Brucey

Comments

This 'New Town' was originally rejected by the Scottish Government. Yet NLC still go ahead with it. All it's going to do is pull money and resources from the rest of NL, leaving the rest of us worst off.

Thunder

How long to get to this stage! North Lanarkshire Council at their best and still no buildings and the draught shows this project can only harm local business.

AuldNick

The site is owned and being developed by Ravenscraig Ltd who are a partnership of Scottish enterprise, Corus and Wilson Bowden Developments. North Lanarkshire Council control of the development is minimal. Check yer facts Nicky

the Starth

Troon waste transfer /recycling site

Area: Troon seafront / Barassie beach

Reason: Given a beautiful seafront, a wide curving sandy beach, a stunning view over to Arran and close proximity to the attractive yacht haven development, what would you plan in? The first thing to spring to most people's mind's would not be a large waste dumping site complete with big waste containers and horrible high fencing. However the planning authorities in Ayrshire have seen fit to blight this beautiful spot in this way. Shame on them.

Nominated by: D Young

Comments

I totally support this nomination. It must have taken a great leap of imagination to site this dump here. It is not the only example of blight on the face of Troon.

Robert Parkhill

Clyde Front

Area: Everything

Reason: Everything

Nominated by: Marc Campbell

Tesco Town

Area: Partick

Reason: Totally out of proportion with the rest of the area. Tesco knocked down the historic Partick Station. Wasted opportunity for use of this space.

Nominated by: Alastair McDonald

river heights phase 2

Area: glasgow

Reason: another blot on the landscape

Nominated by: sfg

Glasgow Harbour

Area: Glasgow

Reason: High rise nightmare of the future unfolding in front of our eyes.

Nominated by: craigmcm

springfield quay

Area: glasgow

Reason: this was an area that could have been utilised and made into something good. they have allowed the most ugly building in Glasgow to be build there(casino) the buildings are not sensitive to one another and its just like they have thrown some metal boxes in the air and let them land where they want. horrific.

Nominated by: julie robertson

Comments

I have to agree with previous comments. An absolute disgrace and testament to the incompetence of the local planning department.

ColinC

New Council Building

Area: Scott St, Motherwell

Reason: A huge and ugly building adding to the hundreds of properties already owned by North Lanarkshire Council.

Nominated by: KB

Tradestoun Redevelopment

Area: Glasgow

Reason: They've only just started on the project and already there's problems (with the quay wall steel pinning structure collapsing), as well as running overbudget on the proposed bridge and bulldozing listed buildings!! What next for this blighted project.

Nominated by: Santa

Comments

another bridge how are they going to dregge the river. It is only a matter of time before the slums of the future are washed away by flooding

the watcher

Pub and club in former underground station

Area: Botanic Gardens, Glasgow

Reason: Okay, this has not got full planning permission yet - but it would be a disaster for one of Glasgow's best parks. This oasis of calm in Glasgow's West End would be well and truly breached. And anyway, does this area really need more pubs?

Nominated by: Angus

Commomwealth Games Village

Area: Glasgow, East End

Reason: Tomorrows slums today. Dreadful heartless design. No town centre. Cars rule.

Nominated by: Andy Wilson

Regeneration of the old Hoover Factory

Area: Cambuslang

Reason: The 39 acre site was purchased by the Dawn Group in 2006 for £15m. Along with adjoining land owners, they have submitted a master plan for the redevelopment of the Hoover site containing a mixture of business and residential uses. The last thing we need is more housing, more industrial/office units (we have Gateway Glasgow and the Investment Park). A massive strain on our road system and a real lack of vision from South Lanarkshire Council

Nominated by: Elaine Smith

Replacement of council buildings

Area: Royal Mile

Reason: It was a disgrace that the council buildings were ever allowed to be built on the royal mile so I rejoiced when they were finally torn down. However , amoungst all the medievel finery at this corner of the Royal Mile and George 4 bridge I see that a glass and chrome monstrosity is going to be built! Why cant we just copy the rest of the buildings surrounding it!!

Nominated by: Stephen

Zit Building Nominees

Scotland's Most Disappointing Building

Etap Hotel

Area: Sprinfield Quay, Glasgow

Reason: Absolutly dire monstrosity of a building designed by a monkey!

Nominated by: Tony Newman

Comments

I concur, its certainly ugly. Mind you at £32 a night per room - you gets what you pays for!

Jasamy

If the remit of the planners was to design the hotel 'in-keeping' with the surrounding architecture - then they've done a good job in my opinion.

Brucey

Now now, don't be cruel to monkeys

Elaine

Metropole

Area: Clyde Street Glasgow

Reason: Cheap "Tesco" Architecture Poor Finishing a building so ugly the roof blew off

Nominated by: Abbey Donaldson

Comments

Maybe since they've closed Paddy's Market the retail units on the ground floor might get taken up?

Brucey

The Quay Casino

Area: The Quay, Glasgow

Reason: Seems almost unbelievable this monstrosity was allowed to go up in such a sensitive area. The Quay was bad to start off with but Glasgow seems hell bent on replicating Cumbernauld Town Centre on the Clyde.

Nominated by: gordon

Comments

Woeful... really, it is awful. It seems like they didn't employ an architect for this project. I could have done a better job.

Alastair McDonald

I whole heartedly support this nomination. This hotel could have significantly improved the quality of that impoverished space - instead they put the car park and the back end of the building facing on to the public realm. The casino opposite is equally disappointing - what on earth were the planners playing at?

Claire Jenkins

no explaination needed... the architects should be shot.

Nominated by: julie robertson

Apparently based on Nautical design, the only sea-fairing imagery that the massive glazed 'vag' and out-of sync cladding lines is of a WW2 Battleship being blown apart by a U Boat.. A disastrous addition to the Clydeside regeneration.

Stewart Gibson

Clyde Front

Area: Clyde

Reason: Everything

Nominated by: Marc Campbell

BBC Scotland

Area: Glasgow waterfront

Reason: A box of delights? Or just a big box of shit? A waste of licence payer money - or just a waste of money? Ask the 200 staff in Scotland that will be getting laid-off soon...

Nominated by: The Passion

Comments

A totally ugly and uninspired huge glass shoebox, looking like a badly planned shopping mall or power station, contrasting badly with the Science Centre and other surrounding buildings which have had a bit of though put into them.

KB

shields road car park

Area: glasgow

Reason: what else do you put in front of a mack building? a car park so we can all see it driving into the city instead of Scotland Strret Schhol

Nominated by: sfg

Canniesburn New Build Flats

Area: Old Canniesburn hospital

Reason: Look at them.

Nominated by: craigmcm

Upper Strand

Area: Granton, Edinburgh

Reason: This building is a disgrace, no wonder the public hold architects in such low esteem. The problem? It's just plain ugly! It also bears a remarkable resemblance to the Chancelot Mills flour plant just down the road

Nominated by: Lindsay Buchan

Scottish Parliament Building

Area: Hollyrood Edinburgh

Reason: This must be the most stupid looking building in Scotland and the biggest waste of public money.

Nominated by: Bill H.

Comments

One Word! Disgraceful

Chris McGeough

£400,000,000 pounds of mince. Scotland's shame.

Tom McBrearty

It is disappointing to hear such narrow minded views. The parliament represents a new and bold direction for Scotland. Costs spiralled due to many factors including the client, death of architect and fire stoking by the media. I think the building is amazing and is a real credit to Scotland.

Colin C

I'd agree with the criticism on cost and it does remind me of one of those absent minded doodles you do when waiting in a queue on the telephone ! Certainly modern but little evidence of reference to our country's history. 5/10.

Barboy

The Scottish Parliament building was a bold vision, a statement of a braver forward looking country, an opportunity to put in place a government for the people of Scotland, and a beacon to the new enlightment sweeping Scotland. But in its planning, design, construction, and subsequent utility it has failed on all accounts. It has left Scotland mentally and financially bankrupt, and exposed the politicians as charletons hiding the truth fro the electorate. Absolutely shameful. Just as the brave new worlds of Le Corbusier and Sir Basil Spence come crashing around our feet, in time so will this 'lamb dressed as mutton'. Is it no wonder people retreat to the past when this is the best we can come up with for the future.

Tariq Aslam

A waste of public money, time etc. It doesn't blend in well with the surrounding area. I wouldn't even visit if it was free. Ghastly

Helen

Maybe if you do visit, you would have a different opinion. The spaces inside are stunning. Be a bit more original and stop laying into the Parliament...

Miralles

Antonine centre

Area: Cumbernauld

Reason: Although much required by the people of Cumbernauld. It is fundementally a big shed! Inside it is stark, everything is white. The anchor store, Dunnes, is a poor example. Dubbed Irelands version of M&S, it is an overhyped, one level, poorly equiped corner shop. You judge a shopping experience by its variety. You still can't by a resonably priced suit (not unless you are below average size and want to pay a fortune at River Island). Soon it'll be like the main centre - Pound shops and card shops!

Nominated by: Andy Wilson

Comments

I also think the centre is very disappointing.

Claire Jenkins

When Cumbernauld was being criticised in the past , through the Carbuncles and the Demolition programme, local politicians said the new centre would put resolve the problems of the town centre, creating new public space and a new focus of activity. In order to have really done that would have taken a great deal of design skill and imagination. Instead we just got a standard retail box, which creates less of a sense of place than the Tescos.

Nominated by: carl

Glasgow Harbour

Area: River Clyde

Reason: Poor architecture, kills the riverfront, piss poor composition, there\'s surely more to scottish architecture than white render [poo coloured in a year] and terracotta cladding, terrible piece of urban design, lack of amenity, monotonous, the cladding panels look shit, nearest shop is a BP Garage, has all the characteristics of a ghetto but without the poor people, great view of the Clyde Expressway. Producing a masterplan that splits the site into 'zones'; commercial, residential, leisure is an idea that would get booted out at a first year crit. No character and no diversity of usage or building typology. Probably the most depressing example of contemporary place making I have ever come across in the whole of Scotland

Nominated by: lee

Comments

dreadful concept, unfortunately the architects think it's great but is truly uninspiring as all their other recent designs. Why build a modern slum.

Nominated by: k/enny

you forgot to mention overpriced! i think it was over £200k for a pokey 1 bed flat!

Stromboli

yeah, your right, i did miss that. So small you you can't have a shag lying down.

lee

Think you captured the character of the place very well Lee. But don't worry, they'll probably be demolishing them in another 40 years (as has done with many of the planning decisions of the 60's - will they ever learn)?

Elaine

Showcase Cinema

Area: Coatbridge

Reason: A neon nightmare.

Nominated by: Yvonne

Comments

God love ya ! I suppose you would rather everybody especially the kids travelled to glasgow to watch a film? How petty and selfish some people can be . Shame on you !!

col.

There are too many

Area: everywhere in Edinburgh

Reason: cheap rabbit hutches erected to take advantage of the property boom. Now they are starting to block the view of the sea at Granton, a huge missed oppertunity

Nominated by: Patrick

Silverburn Shoppng Centre

Area: Pollok, Glasgow

Reason: A completely unnecessary glass and concrete sprawl,with no original retailer offer. Creating unnecessary traffic, and looks like it was lifted from Florida and dumped on Glasgow, truly awful.

Nominated by: Andy Wilson

Scottish Gas HQ

Area: Waterfront Avenue, Edinburgh

Reason: It looks like a hamster cage. People often comment \"I wonder when they\'re going to take the scaffolding down.\"

Nominated by: Luther Blisset