Glasgow City Council orders an “unacceptable” bike shed to be dismantled

A wooden bike storage shed that was built in front of a Listed Building on Hamilton Drive in Glasgow’s West End has been ordered to be dismantled by city council planners.

The council served an enforcement notice to ‘owner’ Kelvin River Townhouses after a Scottish Government reporter dismissed the property owner’s appeal on the case.

Glasgow City Council has judged that the shed, built in a conservation area, does not follow guidance, is “unacceptable”, and does not comply with a policy that states sheds should be behind properties. 

The property owner, Kelvin River Townhouses, appealed the council's decision stating the modifications required were “excessive” and “less onerous" actions would fix the issues. 

An agent on behalf of the property owner said: “The bicycle store was erected in response to the demands of tenants in the flats to store their bicycles safely outside the property. There is an increased demand for this type of storage, as bicycle use is promoted in towns and cities as an alternative to car use.“

A similar case was resolved just last week in Birmingham, where Ruth Cumming won a planning appeal after the council first argued Cumming’s bike shed would be “out of keeping with the existing character” of the area. 

Also, this March, Glasgow City Council extended its own on-street, paid cycle storage facilities because they “recognise that the lack of bicycle storage at home is a significant barrier to everyday cycling. This is a particular problem in flatted and tenement type properties.”

Backing up their order to removing of the bike shelter on Hamilton Drive, the council planners said that the “grounds for service of an enforcement notice is robust and rooted” in the policy.

They also added: “The appellant has provided insufficient justification for the installation of the storage, and there have been no merits of the current arrangement highlighted which would outweigh planning policy. An alternative storage size was suggested by this service, which has not been accounted for in the appeal. There has also been no justification provided for the installation of the fence."

The Scottish Government reporter said that the removal of the cycle storage and fence would be the easiest option to: “simultaneously deal with the breach of planning control and injury to amenity set out in the reasons for issuing the enforcement notice”. They also said: “ I find that the breach of planning control and resulting injury to amenity cannot be remedied without the removal of the cycle storage and fence. Therefore, the requirements of the notice are not excessive.“