Water-smart strategies help businesses save energy and cut carbon

Water Plus is a Business Reporter client
Why smart water management is a hidden opportunity to help businesses stay efficient and cut costs, carbon and energy use in turbulent times.
Amid today's evolving business challenges, effective water management is an overlooked factor that's helping organisations in the know improve efficiency, reduce costs and meet sustainability goals.
Water Plus, a leading business water retailer , is empowering businesses across sectors with solutions that cut water use, energy consumption and carbon emissions, and which save time – helping them focus more on growing their presence, influence, customer base and results.
The company is continually driving efficiencies and enhancements for businesses it works with in England and Scotland, while its customer team gain National Qualifications in Customer Service as part of its customer-centric approach.
And more businesses are moving back to Water Plus – responding to its industry leading knowledge, experience and services, and the results it's delivering for customers. Reducing costs through a better understanding of business water
Energy savers: Alongside reducing running costs, Water Plus is also cutting hot water use at sites (iStock)
With wholesaler water price increases hitting businesses from April 2025, the Water Plus team have increased their work with customers to help reduce wholesaler water costs at sites, by sharing their knowledge, experience and insight.
This customer-first approach has already seen one business benefit from a£21,000 annual cost reduction in wholesaler charges for 2025 identified, after further analysis of a portfolio of more than 200 sites and the actions of the Water Plus team.
Strong customer support and the introduction of effective water management approaches means businesses across sectors are seeing more benefits. Using its comprehensive range of efficiency services, Water Plus delivered a 37 per cent average water saving on estimated annual water use across a number of sites .1
Alongside reducing running costs, Water Plus is also cutting hot water use at sites, saving even more energy. Plus, even small actions – from changing approaches to water use to increasing knowledge on how it can be used more effectively – can also reduce the carbon emissions linked to all water used at business sites, which helps power decarbonisation progress. How customer water partnerships are helping business growth
Team work: One national food company has chosen Water Plus as its partner for business water services (iStock)
One national food company has chosen Water Plus as its partner for business water services, including billing, meter reading and customer service, as it looks to expand.
Sohel Patel, Managing Director of Halal Kitchen Ltd, which manufactures and distributes chilled and frozen foods in the UK and which recently opened a new London depot, said: 'Water is an absolutely vital part of our operation, so having a reliable and trusted business water partner is a must for us – which is why we're continuing to be with Water Plus.
'We continually look at how we use water at our business during the year, so we're working efficiently, as we continue to provide high-quality food products for the UK. We also engage with all our employees and highlight the steps to take, so that extra water isn't being used when it's not needed.
'We've established ourselves as a leader in the UK for supplying fresh halal chilled foods – and continuing to be with Water Plus, as a reliable and efficient partner for our water services, provides a strong base as we continue our plans to grow in the future.
'Its MyAccount platform is easy to use and makes it effortless to update our account information and provide meter readings, which reduces bills based on estimates.' Helping customers identify water-saving opportunities
Easy wins: Insight, experience and analysis can show that customers are using way more water than they need to (iStock)
Improved consumption reporting and data analysis techniques mean key account managers at Water Plus have identified even more ways of proactively helping customers – some of which are household names – to reduce their water consumption and costs.
Insight, experience and analysis found that one customer was using more than 40,000 litres a month at one of its sites – a volume that should have been 70 per cent lower. When digging into the details as part of proactive customer support, Key Account Manager Lisa Moore found the multi-site was paying for another business's supply at the location as well as its own.
'We worked closely with the customer, using our experience of water management and reviewing data, to raise this with the wholesaler, who installed an additional water meter for the other business,' said Lisa. 'An application has also been made to the wholesaler to request a refund for the water amount they were not using, following the cut to ongoing running costs that's already helping the business in 2025, from our work and actions.'
Water reuse – from rainwater harvesting to using heated water multiple times at businesses including manufacturers – can be another great way to reduce water consumption and costs. While a bigger initial cost may be involved in introducing these approaches and installing devices that change the way water is used, the payback time can quickly give a return on investment through increased efficiencies and a reduction in other costs.
The key account management team at Water Plus proactively works with customers on a daily basis to identify opportunities – including around water approaches – backed up by additional efficiency services and smart water solutions that can be provided through the Value Added Services team at Water Plus. The extra data that's unlocking further savings and efficiencies
Look at the data: Crunching the numbers can help identify areas for more efficient water use and spot issues early (iStock)
Better data can help identify even further areas for more efficient water use – and can also help reduce risks to operations by spotting any issues with water early.
And taking more meter readings across a year to track use can help cut estimated bills, meaning businesses just pay for what's used and keep greater control over running costs.
Water Plus has helped some major large and multi-site organisations add data loggers to their water meters to get updates on water use throughout the day and night, giving them easy access to additional water data online. This also lets businesses save time by both removing the need for manual walkaround checks and providing more detailed data.
Indeed, data loggers have enabled one multi-site organisation to move forward with its sustainability plans and track results – making a 34.4 per cent water-saving in 2025, on average daily use, at one of its locations merely by using small, low-cost efficiency devices installed through Water Plus.2 A separate data logger also showed a whopping 48 per cent reduction in average daily water use at another of its locations after efficiency devices were installed through Water Plus – with two other sites being assisted by Water Plus to similarly increase efficiencies and reduce overall consumption.3
The Water Plus team also works with customers to set alarms through the online portal it can provide, which trigger notifications when water use increases above the limits set. This approach has led to sites identifying at least 12 locations with leaks in 2024 alone.
The Water Plus team's proactive service approach also alerted a manufacturer and two other sites to increased water use in 2025. This increased use – four cubic metres an hour – across three sites was equal to 16,000 250ml cups of tea. Site visits have been arranged to pinpoint the location and cause of the increased water use.
Regular site checks such as these are well worth the time, as they can show where any water waste may be occurring – from dripping taps to cracked pipes and other less obvious signs of waste, such as water continually running in toilets. Stopping these quickly as soon as they are found means the increased costs from these are kept to a minimum on water bills, helping the bottom line.
For example, one site experienced water losses that would have cost an estimated £76,000 in wholesaler costs (and the equivalent of 6.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions) over 12 months, from a leak that was located and repaired through Water Plus's Value Added Services team experts. Quick reactions kept this additional cost down.
With additional sustainability reporting requirements for larger businesses – including for boards, suppliers and customers – looking to water to help progress sustainability goals is worth the time. Our team can help show your untapped business potential.
Partner with multi award-winning water management experts
Key account managers at Water Plus regularly visit customers, from multi-sites to large industrial facilities, to review how they're using water and help them implement bespoke water management plans, as well as show them how to boost trade effluent efficiencies.
Water Plus provided the help and support a major manufacturer in the food and drink sector needed for an application to a wholesaler, delivering a £170,000 annual cost saving in 2025. The business improved its trade effluent processes and treatment at one of its largest sites, which reduced the overall wholesaler unit cost.
Water Plus is committed to delivering exceptional customer support – and it's backed up by the 21 awards the company has won since 2022, including a UK Customer Satisfaction Award in 2025 for Sustainable Customer Service. And Water Plus is the only water retailer making the finals for four customer awards in 2025, for helping customers manage their water more easily, effectively and efficiently.
We truly believe in putting customers first, and we're here to support you through every step of your water management and water-saving journey. Our team are always happy to see how we can help customers as a water retailer – and to check you are on the best prices.
Tap into more ways to cut down utility costs and partner with our team today , or email: advancedservices@water-plus.co.uk .
Additional information on statistics:
1. A 37 per cent average water-saving, on estimated annual water use, was identified across 51 sites after water efficiency kit was installed through Water Plus in 2024. The sites were part of a large-scale project at locations across three counties that Water Plus delivered. This project was delivered by the Advanced Services Team at Water Plus, who provide value-added services (VAS).
The saving is based on water use data collected during water audits at each site to calculate savings on the annual estimated water use per site from water efficiency kit installed through Water Plus.
2. 34.4 per cent water saving at a multi-site's one location tracked by a data logger installed by Water Plus on a water meter – on average daily consumption in February and March 2025, with water use tracked before and after water efficiency devices were installed.
3. 48 per cent water saving at another of the multi-site's locations tracked by a data logger installed by Water Plus on a water meter – on average daily consumption in March and April 2025, with water use tracked before and after water efficiency devices were installed.
More on the changes in wholesaler prices for business water, that started in April 2025, at: www.water-plus.co.uk/news/20252026-wholesaler-price-changes/ .

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Times

43 minutes ago

• Times

What war in the Middle East means for your money

The conflict between Israel and Iran is the latest geopolitical shock set to hamper the outlook for the UK economy — and, ultimately, your bank balance. Since the attacks began on June 12, the price of oil has risen to a six-month high. Hopes for interest rate cuts have been dashed, fears of rising inflation have been amplified, and any respite from stock market turmoil appears to have been short-lived. • Read more money advice and tips on investing from our experts This week the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said: 'I'm always concerned about the effect of international issues on people back at home. You saw with Ukraine the direct impact it had on energy bills. Equally, with this conflict, you can see the effect it's having on the economy, particularly on the price of energy.' From petrol prices to pension pots, here's what you need to know: Iran is the third-largest oil producer among the 12 members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), and there are worries about how a wider regional war could affect the transport of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for about 25 per cent of seaborne crude oil transportation, according to the consultancy Capital Economics. The price of a barrel of Brent crude hit a six-month high of about $78 after Israeli attacks on Iran began, up from about $65 at the start of this month. That is bound to have a knock-on effect on motorists, said David Oxley from Capital Economics: 'A rough rule of thumb is that a $10 rise in the oil price will add about 7p to the price at the pump.' It normally takes about two weeks for oil prices to feed into pump prices, Oxley said. Motorists have, however, had some recent respite from the cost of living crisis as petrol and diesel prices hit their lowest in almost four years. Petrol cost an average of 132p a litre last month, the lowest since July 2021, while diesel was at 138p, the lowest since September 2021, according to the motoring organisation the RAC. While prices are likely to rise, they are not expected to reach the high of March 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused the oil price to reach $127 per barrel. The price in sterling peaked in July of that year at more than £100 with pump prices hitting 192p per litre for petrol and 199p per litre for diesel. More than a million homeowners whose fixed deals come to an end this year may have their hopes of further interest rate cuts dashed. The lowest two-year fix was 3.72 per cent last month, but rates are starting to tick up again, according to the property portal Rightmove. The lowest two-year deal is now 3.82 per cent from Lloyds Bank for those with a Club Lloyds account. The lowest five-year fixed rate has gone from 3.78 per cent to 3.88 per cent, also from Lloyds. Lenders had been cutting mortgage rates to compete for business, but changed tack after inflation went from 2.6 per cent for the year to March to 3.5 per cent in April. This makes cuts to the Bank of England base rate less likely — the Bank generally keeps the rate high when inflation is above its target of 2 per cent. The Consumer Prices Index inflation figure for the year to May, released this week, was 3.4 per cent. Uncertainty around President Trump's trade tariffs and conflict in the Middle East has also dampened hopes of further base rate cuts. The Bank held rates at 4.25 per cent this week, which, although a lot higher than the sub 2 per cent rates many mortgage holders will have fixed at three or five years ago, is down from the peak of 5.25 per cent in August last year. Fixed mortgage rates are based on swap rates (the rates at which banks lend to each other, which are in turn based on forecasts of where Bank rate is expected to be in the future), which have edged up over the past week or so, suggesting that mortgage rates could follow. Homeowners who want certainty can lock in a new deal up to six months before theirs ends yet still swap if a cheaper deal comes along. Rising oil prices could also cause other expenses to creep up, particularly if the Iran conflict continues or escalates. Lotanna Emediegwu, an economics lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, said that prolonged conflict could drive up energy bills. The price cap that limits how much suppliers can charge customers on standard variable tariffs will work out at an average bill of £1,720 a year for gas and electricity from July 1 (down 7 per cent from today's cap). At the moment analysts expect the cap to go up 2 to 3 per cent in October, but this could change dramatically. He said: 'Until recently, fuel prices had been rising less than other things, so actually mitigating some inflationary pressures. The recent conflict is expected to reverse this trend. 'The financial repercussions extend beyond immediate energy costs into transportation and logistics. Transport expenses are particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in fuel prices. This affects everything from airline fares to shipping costs for products, ultimately hitting consumer prices.' Before June 12, when Israel launched strikes on Iran, inflation had been expected to rise to 3.5 per cent by the autumn — now it could go further. A sustained $10 per barrel rise in the oil price typically pushes up annual inflation by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points, according to The Economist, meaning that it could be closer to 3.7 per cent by September. Emediegwu said a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route could add a further 0.5 to 1 percentage points, which could take it close to 5 per cent. So far the stock market has been fairly resilient to the conflict in the Middle East. The UK's FTSE 100 is down about 0.77 per cent since the turmoil started, while the US's S&P 500 is down about 1.06 per cent. If a sustained conflict leads to an increase in the price of oil, stock valuations may fall — this is because higher oil prices lead to higher inflation, which means interest rates are likely to stay higher for longer, which makes it more expensive for companies to borrow money to grow and often curbs investors' risk appetite. Losers are likely to include airline and travel stocks, as well as so-called growth stocks, which include technology and healthcare companies. Many investors will have exposure to the US 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks of Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Tesla, Amazon, Meta and Nvidia. These companies are often valued on their future earnings potential, which means their stock price can be volatile if company results or wider economic conditions point towards a slowdown of earnings. The good news is that Iran and Israel are a very limited part of the global stock market, so direct exposure for most UK investors will be immaterial. However, Michael Field from the research firm Morningstar said that the risk is that wider markets get jittery about the potential for the conflict to escalate further. Investors should avoid making any kneejerk changes to their portfolio. Ultimately, while geopolitical tensions may create short-term turmoil, historically markets have been resilient in the long term. Jacob Falkencrone from the investment bank Saxo said: 'As an investor, your greatest tool is a disciplined approach — staying informed, remaining calm and focusing on your long-term investment goals rather than reacting impulsively to temporary shocks.'

The Sun

an hour ago

• The Sun

Incredible way to get designer clothes, perfumes and gadgets for less than a tenner

EVERYWHERE I look there are hundreds of suitcases in different colours, shapes and sizes. But I'm not in an airport arrivals lounge and there is no luggage carousel in sight. 5 5 5 Instead, I'm at a suitcase auction at Greasbys in Tooting, South London, where you can buy unclaimed luggage from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted for a fraction of the price. Luggage usually goes missing when you have a connecting flight with a different airline, as there is a higher chance your belongings could get lost. Six bags went missing for every 1,000 checked in last year, according to aviation data company Sita. If your bag never arrives and you don't tell the airport, it may be passed to an auction house to sell to the highest bidder. Here's how to bag a bargain of your own . . . HOW IT WORKS GREASBYS has been selling lost luggage for more than 50 years. It holds online-only auctions every other Wednesday. Bidders must email their sealed bids before the auction starts. The person who makes the highest offer wins the item. You can go to the actual auction house the day before to check the suitcases and bags — which is what I'm here to do. I'm surprised to discover you can't open the luggage to inspect the actual items. Every bag and suitcase comes with a label describing the contents. You are unlikely to find high-value items inside luggage. I spent £136 to see if the lost luggage trend was worth it - I thought I'd nab designer goodies but it was a total flop Designer clothes, gadgets, bags and shoes are taken out and sold individually. High-street clothes in good condition are also removed, bagged and sold as one lot. There are typically 20 items to a bag, which usually go for at least £10. Most cases sell for between £18 to £60. The airports are sent the profits from sales, after the auction house takes a cut. If you're worried about ending up with someone's dirty smalls, don't be alarmed. Christine Sachett, owner of Greasbys, says: 'The staff go through every suitcase. They also remove more personal items.' ANY BARGAINS? I FIND two children's Tommy Hilfiger coats, one in hot pink and another in navy blue. They retail at £75 each but sell for £10.80. And my eyes widen as I spy a pair of cream Prada Pegasus trainers worth £600 and sold for £40. A pink and ivory scarf from Mulberry is just my style — it sells for £31.50. There are 15 people browsing in Greasbys and many are regulars. 'Some people work and need to supplement their income, some people actually do it for a living,' Christine said. One regular buys suitcases and sells them on his market stall in Portobello Road. SECRET BIDDING TIPS MAKE sure the wheels and zips are intact when buying a suitcase. 'Check the name of the suitcase and research how much it would normally cost you,' Christine said. 'Some of the big holdalls on wheels are nearly £100 to buy, depending on the bag.' Buying suitcases can often be a mixed bag. 'Unless the owner was unlucky and lost their bag on their way out, or they get everything laundered while they are on holiday, you could be buying someone's dirty holiday clothes,' she said. Do not focus on the weight. 'If it is heavy it could mean it is full of cheap clothing,' she said. 'Lighter ones may have really nice clothing inside.' WATCH OUT FOR FEES FEES are added on top of the hammer price. A buyer's premium will be charged, which is 26 per cent of the cost. VAT, 20 per cent, is also added to the premium only. So a £50 item is £65.60. ARE THERE OTHERS? INDEPENDENT auction house Mulberry Bank in Glasgow holds two lost luggage sales a month. Bristol Commercial Valuers and Auctioneers also holds online lost luggage auctions. BEFORE YOU BID GREASBYS does not offer any guarantees or warranties. If there is something wrong with your item, Greasbys won't give you a refund, a replacement, or fix it for you. That means it's a risk buying items locked inside the luggage, as you can't see if they are in good nick. When buying at an auction, Gurpreet Chhokar from consumer site Which? warns you may not benefit from the same protections as with a retailer. She said: 'You might not be able to change your mind and get a refund. 'Check any terms and conditions relating to auction sales carefully.' You may also lose a powerful consumer protection, Section 75, when making payments to the auction house using a credit card, she added. Usually, it allows you to claim money back from your credit card provider if something goes wrong. I PAID £130, THIS IS WHAT WAS INSIDE... SENIOR Fabulous Digital Writer Abigail Wilson bought an unclaimed suitcase from Undelivrd, and here's what she found . . . I WAS intrigued to see if I'd bag exciting treasures. I ordered my case for £129.99 from Undelivrd, a warehouse that sells lost Royal Mail parcels, Amazon return pallets and forgotten baggage. The size and brand of case you get will be random. The contents are also a surprise. When the case arrived, it was wrapped in a bin bag. The case was an American Tourister, which is worth £129, but pretty battered. A mouldy smell hit me before I even unzipped it. Rather than pricey clothes or electricals, the contents left me gutted – smelly socks, worn boxers and dirty hoodies. I was excited when I spotted a White Company toiletry bag. But then I realised it's a freebie you get on long-haul BA flights. A pair of leather shoes from Asda, £25 if bought new, was the only decent thing I found. I totted up the cost of the contents and was surprised to see that, when bought new, the items would come to £223.98. If you include the cost of the case, it added up to just over £350. But it was nothing near what I had hoped for, so it really is a lucky dip when ordering lost luggage online. I GOT FREEBIES WORTH £62 IN 24 HOURS WHO doesn't love a freebie? There is no better feeling than getting your hands on a coffee, meal or drink without spending a penny. That's why I spent a day hoovering up bargains along my local high street, including coffee, spring rolls, and even a cocktail – and managed to get nearly £62 worth of goodies. Shops often offer customers freebies to promote new products, reward them for their loyalty or to attract new shoppers. Food and drink prices have soared in the past few years, making it more expensive to grab a treat. So I was eager to see how many freebies I could get my hands on in 24 hours. At 8.30am I popped into my local Greggs to grab my first freebie of the day – a black coffee, worth £1.90. I had downloaded the Greggs app the night before and all I needed to do was open the app and activate the reward. What a result! At 1pm the hunt began for a bargain lunch. I headed to Chopstix Noodle Bar, as I heard that you can get five free spring rolls worth £2.50 if you download the shop's app. I signed up, and in minutes, a coupon for the snack appeared in my account. They were just how I like them – crunchy on the outside and still warm from the oven. At 1.40pm I ventured over to visit a Mac Cosmetics near the office and asked for some testers. I got two 10ml samples of Hyper Real Serumizer, a bestseller, which costs £80 for a 50ml bottle. My samples are worth £12.80. At 6pm I met my friends at the pub. I used an app called Dusk, which helps you find free drinks at bars. The Pembroke in Earl's Court was giving away one free Hugo Spritz worth £10 to every customer, so I went and claimed mine. Cheers! lI also got: Blueberry muffin £3.75; taco £3.49; cappuccino £4.10; cosmetic samples £15.91; Nicotine pouches, £6.50; cat food 19p DROOPER MARKETS SUPERMARKETS suffered a 'dismal' month of May as shoppers cut back on booze and tobacco spending, figures reveal. The total volume of retail sales fell by 2.7 per cent — dropping at the fastest rate in more than a year — the Office for National Statistics says. 5 This compared with a 1.3 per cent rise in April. May's overall retail sales came in considerably below the 0.7 per cent decline that most economists had been expecting for the month. ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach said: 'Retail sales fell sharply in May with their largest monthly fall since the end of 2023. This was mainly due to a dismal month for food retailers, especially supermarkets, following strong sales in April. 'Feedback suggested reduced purchases for alcohol and tobacco, with customers choosing to make cutbacks.' She added that clothing and homeware stores were reporting reduced footfall in May. A drop in demand for DIY items last month followed the sunny weather in April that had boosted home improvement projects. Despite May's decline, retail sales volumes rose by 0.8 per cent across the three months to May, compared with the three months to February. Nicholas Found, head of commercial content at research consultancy Retail Economics, said: 'The cost of living remains the dominant concern for households.' PETROL PRICES RISING PETROL prices are on the rise again after fuel costs fell to their lowest levels since July 2021. The AA said average prices of unleaded hit 132.8p on Thursday, after they bottomed out at 132.3p last month. Diesel was 138.9p a litre on Thursday, after a low of 138.1p. Tensions in the Middle East have pushed up global oil prices. The AA's Luke Bosdet said: 'Oil prices look daunting but the impact's been limited.' SUPPLY PAIN THE supermarket watchdog has launched a new probe into Amazon. The Grocery Code Adjudicator will look at whether it breached rules on treatment of suppliers. It will focus on its delays to paying them, deductions to commercial negotiations, and how it manages supplier concerns. Leading ombudsman Mark White said: 'The alleged delays could expose Amazon suppliers to excessive risk and unexpected costs, potentially affecting their ability to invest and innovate.' TAX TWEAK MAJOR changes to council tax are coming with a Government shake-up. Millions of households could make the payments over 12 months instead of ten under plans to help households manage their finances better. A consultation launched yesterday also laid out plans to make town halls wait longer before demanding a bill is paid in full and cap liability orders. If just one payment is missed, a council currently can demand bills are paid for an entire year.

BBC News

an hour ago

• BBC News

Could Glasgow's skyline be set to change with skyscrapers?

Think of skyscrapers and images come to mind of New York City's skyline, or hundreds of buildings soaring above the streets of Hong could Glasgow be poised for a similar boom in tall buildings?The city council formally approved its new tall buildings policy on Thursday, with a design guide establishing what areas could benefit from construction, such as Charing Cross and local authority hope the plans would lure more developers to the city, building upwards and therefore creating more accommodation and also space for businesses - at a time when land for development is becoming limited. It's a strategy other cities in the UK have pursued in recent years, with London and Manchester building clusters of skyscrapers at Scotland News understands the hope from some in the city council is that the new policy would shatter misconceptions regarding Glasgow having limits on building heights, and therefore encourage more interest from the moment the city's tallest building - the tower at the Science Centre by the River Clyde - is under the minimum height for a skyscraper, which is taller than 150m. It sits at began last year on the Ard development in Blythswood Hill, a 36-storey tower of student accommodation. But some of the city's tall buildings already lie vacant, while large blocks of flats - like on Wyndford Road - have been demolished in recent to redevelop the 14-storey Met Tower as a digital tech hub were cancelled last year. The new design guide doesn't set sights quite so high, defining tall buildings via various factors - including how it's perceived on street level and how it affects the skyline around highest category - metropolitan - is classed as a building three and a half times above the height of "the broader context" surrounding it, meaning somewhere like the Met Gerry Hogan, who works with the firm Collective Architecture, believes the policy is quite conservative, but welcome nonetheless."We've been a little reticent to be bold with in our approach to tall buildings, and arguably with architecture in Glasgow generally," he says. "If anything, the guide doesn't go far enough – they go through a very careful analysis of where tall buildings should be located and it doesn't give much encouragement for parts of the city." That belief is centred on the guide's suggestion on placing larger spaces - ideally mixed-use developments with shops or leisure facilities below housing - in certain parts of the city, therefore avoiding clashes with conservation areas like Pollok Park. Russell Baxter, a director with architecture and engineering firm NORR, believes the guide encourages clusters of buildings together."If you look at London, there's a lot of clusters there," he says. "It has a very protected skyline, so things like cathedrals and churches are retained, and key views are retained – that's everything in these cities. "So in Glasgow something like Trinity Tower at Park Circus is a key view – you can't obliterate that view for people. The idea is to cluster them together so you get a number of them in one area - the edge of the motorway is always seen as a place where that can happen." Mr Hogan believes that the quality of the new builds themselves will be key to making them a success, wherever they are situated in the city."A tall building is the same as any building, it comes down to how good it is," he explains. "Sure, height is a factor but if it's well designed and how it sits in the skyline has been considered then there's no reason it couldn't be put in more sensitive areas if they were well enough designed."What this seeks to promote, and what I agree with, is having multi-use buildings that bring in people throughout the day and engage people in using both the building and the wider area around it. "You don't want it putting a nearby park in the shade for example." 'You have to justify these buildings' Cllr Ruairi Kelly, the convener for development and land use at Glasgow city council, said the proposals will play a "significant role in our ambition to grow the city centre population" through providing a housing Manchester's recent boom in tall buildings was driven by public money, in particular the £300m Greater Manchester Housing Investment Glasgow will have to box clever, including with locations."You've not got the ability to do what you could do in Victorian times where you could just place a church or town hall at the end of a street, like a church being right on Ingram Street," says Mr Baxter. "If you go down Buchanan Street and the way the station entrance is sitting there – those were classic Victorian moves for how you masterplan cities and those buildings were key public buildings. "Now what you get are all buildings that are full of students and you have to justify them taking up these key positions."The guidance itself was drawn up through a public consultation and feedback from designers, developers and amenity Baxter believes the guidance will be helpful, even if the city having its own version of the Burj Khalifa remains a pie in the sky thought for now. "At the end of the day, you're not going to stop developers building tall. So what you need to do is control it, and that's what the policy is there to do – control where they are and control the quality of them."