Glasgow is set to become home to the world’s first floating leisure village, in a decision announced by Scottish Enterprise today. Developer, Floating Concepts Limited, has been chosen to develop the former Canting Basin at Pacific Quay, a mile from Glasgow city-centre on the south side of the River Clyde.

The £30 million pioneering proposals, designed by Glasgow-based ZM Architecture and Baca of London, could transform the Canting Basin into a spectacular floating community comprising a marina, shops, offices, houses, restaurants and a roof- top concert arena.

Allan McQuade, Business Infrastructure Director at Scottish Enterprise, said: “The floating leisure village proposed…for the Clyde’s Canting Basin has the potential to become a vibrant waterfront tourism and leisure destination at the heart of Glasgow’s Pacific Quay. It is an innovative proposal which makes maximum use of the water.”

The Canting Basin covers five hectares of water which borders the Science Centre and IMAX cinema at Glasgow’s Pacific Quay. Cutting-edge design and the latest sustainable technology would be used to create a new canal with a U-shaped floating roadway serving approximately 30 residential units. These would be a mixture of town houses and apartments, designed to offer a spread of sizes across a range of prices.

The centre piece to the proposed development is a high specification marina which will have a maximum of 80 berths which will be offered for sale to boat owners on the basis of a 50 year lease. Ownership, management and control of the marina will vested in the berth holders themselves. The marina will be built to the industry’s latest standards and include, for the first time in the UK, the innovative ‘DualDocker’ berthing system which simplifies the berthing process and makes mooring lines obsolete. The members own shore based facilities will be incorporated discreetly into a new public yacht club, leisure, restaurant and function facility idea, which Floating Concepts are planning to introduce.

There are also plans for a further 150 berths for the residents and occupiers of the development and for visitors by boat. Plus, to encourage the use of the river for transport and recreational use, the offices and residential units will be marketed with a range of ‘pool’ boats which residents will be able to book on line.

In front of ‘The Hub’ digital media centre, are plans for approximately 24,000 sqft of small office units, aimed at the Sipps market, as well as 10-12,000sqft of individual live/work contemporary floating structures in units, which will be offered on an off-the-peg or bespoke design basis.

Construction could start on site in 2012 and is expected to take around three years and be completed in up to three phases.

“All great coastal cities have a prime waterfront destination and now Glasgow will be able to join those ranks,” explained David Beard, Chief Executive of Floating Concepts. “The iconic nature of a floating village will turn the Canting Basin into a major tourism destination quite unlike any other in the world, as well as being a thriving centre for local people and businesses.”

For more information, visit www.floatingconcepts.co.uk