'Raze it to the ground then salt the earth where it stood' - Readers' comments on Glye Centre revamp

The Gyle Shopping Centre looks set for a radical facelift thanks to an investment of £500 million. The centre would be completely modernised as part of the “urban quarter” plan, and around 1,000 homes would be built ar the site. Here’s what readers thought...

Plans have been unveiled for a £500m revamp of the Gyle Centre

Steven Klein: Only thing that could improve the Gyle Centre is to raze it to the ground then salt the earth where it stood!

Paul Taylor: Don't you just love the spin . . .An "urban quarter". Is that the description now? We had the Sighthill Industrial Estate, little industry left there, then the Gyle Business Park. Little industry or businesses left... Now we have the “urban quarter". Is that the name we should use for the empty shop units, empty office buildings, new hotels and multi-story car parks? New houses and no new roads or schools?

Gary James: Another stupid idea. Another poor attempt to involve the trams which everyone and their dog knew were disastrous in the first place. An attempt to make "an Edinburgh West High street"? How behind the times is our council? The number of shoppers is falling – you only need to look at Princes Street; it’s a shadow of its former self with cheap tat replacing department stores.

Heather Anderson: This is long overdue.The bus stop area is horrendous. There is no seating and no protection from the elements.

Paula Fernandez: Aren’t there already plans to build houses on the land near Edinburgh Park train station? If this proceeds with new houses at the Gyle the roads will not cope. Traffic is already a nightmare and let's not forget Edinburgh Councils’ brilliant idea of introducing a bus lane on Glasgow Road. Driving home is going to be a joke when I return to the office.

Ser Glynn: Just stick in more bollards and planters. Sorted.

Nicholas Keddie: The Hermiston Gait and Gogarburn roundabouts are an absolute shambles and not fit for purpose. These need redeveloped before any new housing is built in this area.

Louise Gladstone: Love the positivity of Edinburgh folk! Why not look at the positives instead of the negatives It’s taking advantage of the transport hubs – trams, buses and trains – in the area so no need to use your car for everything. It’s building houses which there is a market for, or else they wouldn’t build them. It’s utilising a vast “dead” space, and changing what’s there to make it more appealing in this day and age. It’s called progress. Would you rather keep a shopping centre that’s not profitable (before I get shot down this is an assumption I’ve made given the amount of units that are up for let at the moment) and offices that are empty or would you rather see it change to something different for today’s way of life?

Gayle Mae Davidson: Can’t see the point in many more empty office buildings like the ones across the road. Some good ideas but not sure it’s been completely thought through.

Stuart Kerr: This will certainly help Edinburgh meet the carbon net zero targets set by the council.

Wilma Flint: Use the money for social housing. People need housing, not an upgrade of shops.

Patrick Hogg: It needs something done – it's a dump!