£390m expansion plans for Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries has been passed through planning which should see construction of the development begin this year.

It’s widely anticipated that joint owners Land Securities and Henderson Global Investors will confirm Lend Lease as their preferred contractor for the construction project, which will see new retail space, new bar and restaurant facilities as well as a huge and complex new atrium entrance to Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Buchanan onto Buchanan Street (replacing the steps).

The development will take place in converting part of the existing car park structure to the North and East of the existing Buchanan Galleries whilst extending the shopping mall over the railway lines of Queen Street station virtually doubling the size of the shopping centre.

In addition a new pedestrian bridge connecting the extension to the new car park will be constructed and new retail frontage on Buchanan Street, Cathedral Street and Killermont Street will be created.

In addition there will be improvements made to the Buchanan Bus Station which will become a transport hub for the whole of Glasgow.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This planning consent will unlock over £300m of private sector investment for Glasgow.

Alongside our TIF scheme, the expansion of Buchanan Galleries will improve the city centre’s public realm and infrastructure, and generate 1500 jobs.”

It’s believed that the development will create thousands of new jobs in the Scottish construction sector with work trickle down to the smallest construction firms, construction firms and builders' merchant companies.