A plan to build 527 student flats on Bath Street should be knocked back as there are already too many in the area, a city centre councillor has said.
Glasgow’s planners have recommended developer iQ’s bid to demolish an office building to make way for student accommodation should be approved.
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But the city’s planning committee called for a hearing so the community’s voice could be heard — and they will get their opportunity on Tuesday.
Before the meeting, Cllr Angus Millar, who represents the Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward, said: “We need to build mixed, balanced communities in the city centre and grow the permanent residential population, as opposed to simply more monolithic blocks of transient student accommodation in areas with already high concentrations.”
He has urged the committee to recognise the concerns of the community and refuse the proposal.
However, the developer believes the area is not one of over-concentration and is “well located to serve a variety of college and university buildings”.
iQ, which also runs Elgin Place, a 324-bed student development nearby, wants to knock down the 1970s office block currently at 225 Bath Street to build car-free accommodation, with a gym, games area and TV lounge.
Cllr Millar, who also co-chairs a city centre task force focusing on the economic challenges facing Glasgow following the pandemic, said communities have been “impacted for years by the over-concentration of private purpose-built student accommodation”.
He added the council has brought in new planning guidance to strengthen the rules around this”.
“In my view, these plans are incompatible with that planning policy in a number of ways — with the developers failing to submit the required need statement to evidence demand and failing to include ground floor uses open to all members of the public.
“This proposal is also the very definition of over-concentration, being directly opposite another massive student housing complex operated by the same company, and would see an additional 70% increase in student beds in the locality.”
Cllr Millar, SNP, and Bailie Christy Mearns, Greens, are two of the nine objectors to the plan, with Blythswood and Broomielaw Community Council also opposed.
Bailie Mearns has said she is “extremely concerned” the development would “contribute to over-concentration, which would be harmful to the balance of this community”.
But council planners believe the proposal would make a “positive contribution” and it is “not considered that 1,255 beds within the locale would be harmful”.
They have said new residents will offer “economic benefits to local businesses as potential employees at under and postgraduate level” and residential use brings “vibrancy”.
iQ has argued it is an area of “transition and change and student housing is recognised as consistent with wider policy objectives of re-populating the city centre”.
The application stated: “Much has been discussed on the principle of use and the over-concentration of students in certain parts of the city centre but that response is not merited for this site.”
It added the existing building is “not capable of economic conversion to alternative uses”.
