Castlemilk shop to expand with new store-front

A shop in Castlemilk, Glasgow has been granted permission to have their doors open outwards after a planning condition was removed.

The One-O-One convenience store at The Braes Shopping Centre was granted permission to extend the premises and install a new shop front in February.

However, a condition of the planning approval, imposed in “the interests of pedestrian safety”, meant the doors had to open inwards.

The applicant, Scotsman Group, urged the council to change its ruling as it did not comply with Scottish building standards, which require doors open outwards for fire safety reasons.

Glasgow’s planning local review committee has now agreed to remove the condition, allowing the doors to open outwards.

The building standards technical handbook for non-domestic properties states: “Doors across an escape route can slow the flow of occupants and may lead to crowding.  To ensure the doors on an escape route do not unduly delay escape they should open in the direction of escape.”

Doors can open “against the direction of escape if occupancy level is low”. That would have had to be below 60 for the Castlemilk shop, but the owners said that is not the case. The appeal stated: “We propose to install collision bollards at both sides of the door swing edge to avoid collisions with pedestrians.”

A council report added to “avoid the outward opening doors causing a hazard to pedestrians, the applicant suggests installing a collision prevention bollard at each of the two doors forming the main entrance doorway to the extended premises”.

“These bollards and the doors opening outward, rather than inward, would be the only changes from the approved scheme.”

Cllr Ken Andrew, who chaired the committee, said: “I think this has been a technical adjustment to make the application consistent with the fire regulations.

“When we have larger premises, with a higher occupancy, the doors need to open outwards. I think what is being suggested here makes perfect sense.

“Protection of the public by having two extra bollards on either side of the opening doors protects anyone from any injury.”