“Our challenge is to balance two main priorities – maximising Glasgow’s metropolitan strengths, while addressing the needs of its disadvantaged areas,” said chairman Forbes Macpherson after presenting GDA’s annual report earlier in the summer.
GDA appears to be keeping its balance largely by working far more on business development than on property development.
The reasons are simple: Glasgow still exerts a powerful draw on commerce; and there is a paucity of developable sites in the city.
And the agency, through its Business Location Service, has had some success in expanding Glasgow’s economic base.
During the past year it has helped to secure a MOD divisional relocation to the city as well as luring Brittania Life, Direct Line and British Airways to set up regional headquarters in the area.
So far as property activity goes, GDA is giving priority to areas earmarked for regeneration, such as Springburn. Here the agency is involved in a £25m retail and business park redevelopment of the St Rollox site.
GDA is also drawing up plans for an £80m mixed development on the Garden Festival site.
