There’s an episode of Grand Designs from 2019 famed for being the “saddest ever”. In it, Edward and Hazel Short sink their life savings into building the extravagant Chesil Cliff House in North Devon. Inspired by a lighthouse, the dramatic build juts out over a cliff like a modernist white and glass cake.

Like most ambitious renovation projects, Chesil Cliff House was hit with delays. The construction was meant to take 18 months but spanned over 12 years. In the end the project cost the pair their marriage and allegedly left Edward Short in £7 million of debt.

This well-intentioned but utterly dejecting episode crosses my mind while trudging up the Sauchiehall Street building site. Behind the hoarding I can tell something’s been done, I just can’t put my finger on what. And the workers are off for the Glasgow Fair holiday fortnight which Glasgow City Council says doesn’t affect the obscure end of year completion date (for most of the work).

The Avenues Project is dubbed “the largest project of its kind in the UK” encompassing work across the city centre and outlying areas. The £115 million budget is meant to transform the city into an integrated network of pedestrian and cycle routes. Meanwhile, a handful of other areas are set to have their cycle lane networks expanded as part of the Active Travel Strategy. Byres Road has just been completed. Work is now underway to redesign St George’s Road and better link Woodside and the city centre. A bridge connecting Govan and Partick is expected to open in September. There’s an abundance of infrastructure projects happening this year.

Avenues drawing (Image: Newsquest Archive)........

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