Plans to create a new community hub in Glasgow’s East End have been given the go ahead, helping to “secure the long-term future” of an adventure playground.

Regeneration company Clyde Gateway has been granted permission from Glasgow City Council to build a new single-storey facility at Baltic Street Adventure Playground [BSAP] in Dalmarnock.

The application stated the building will “serve as a permanent home for BSAP”, replacing temporary cabins.

Formed in 2013 to address a “significant shortage of play spaces and out-of-school facilities” in the area, the organisation, which registered as a charity in 2018, provides a supervised adventure playground, including tyre swings, tree houses and a climbing frame, for children from six to 12 years old.

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The site currently has portable cabins and shipping containers, which accommodate offices, kitchen facilities, a food hub and toilets.

Plans stated: “The aim of this project is to secure the long-term future of BSAP’s unique and well-established service, ensuring continuity of their vital work with the community.

They continued: “While the primary focus of the playground remains outdoor, free-play activities, the current indoor provision has become insufficient to meet the operational and community needs of the organisation.

“The new building will enhance the existing indoor spaces that complement and support the wide range of outdoor activities offered on site.”

It is expected to include a community room, food hub, kitchen, offices, utility room and toilets. Indoor space will be used for workshops, storage, welfare provision, and “inclement weather cover”.

The cabins at Baltic Street Adventure Playground. Image from plans by INCH Architecture.

The application added the site is a “vital community asset” which offers a “unique outdoor play environment for local children”.

“This proposal represents a significant improvement in the quality and longevity of BSAP’s facilities, reinforcing its long-standing role within the local community,” it stated.

“Importantly, it does not seek to intensify the current use of the site, but rather to secure its future and improve the experience for users, staff, and visitors alike.”

Clyde Gateway — a partnership between Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise — secured £850,000 towards work at Baltic Street from the Scottish Government’s regeneration capital grant fund.

The charity plans to relocate one of the temporary cabins, with toilets and kitchen facilities, during construction work to allow the playground to remain operational.