Nearly 1,000 beds in student flats and 400 homes approved

More than 400 homes and a 934-bed student housing scheme could be built near the River Clyde after firm approval from Glasgow City Council.

The city’s planning committee has approved Summix Capital’s proposal to redevelop land at Central Quay, which also includes 11 commercial units.

Council members made the decision at a hearing Tuesday morning, where Stuart Black, the company’s development director, said his company is “well positioned” to help the city provide more student housing.

Summix had planned to offer a hotel on the site, under a previously approved application, but told the council it had been replaced by student accommodation due to “the lack of demand for hotel and office use”.

They can now build 409 residential flats and offer 934 student beds across four blocks on the land, which is bounded by Anderston Quay, Warroch Street, Whitehall Street and Hydepark Street.

Anderston Community Council objected to the project over concerns that so many new residents will overwhelm the expanded services such as doctors and dentists, the lack of social housing and potentially high rents.

Mr Black said his company had contacted the NHS but “did not have a particularly successful dialogue with them”. He said there had also been “early discussions” with dentists and pharmacists, asking them to come back as development progressed.

He also told the committee that his company was “aware of the acute student housing crisis” in Glasgow. “With our background in student housing, we understood that we were well positioned to help solve that problem,” he said.

Mr Black added that Summix also had “an understanding of standard housing demand, and again, as a housing developer with expertise in that area, we felt we could meet that as well”.

He said the company was also attracted by Glasgow’s “future vision and its growth ambitions” and its “connectivity, proximity to the Clyde, proximity to the city” and transport links.

Cllr Imran Alam, Labour, said: “I think it is a very good development. Looking at the city center residential strategy, the key is to increase the population to 40,000. To do that, we have to build somewhere. I think it is a good mix between living and students.”

Cllr Thomas Kerr, Conservative, said: “I think it looks good, it looks really good. It’s an empty, derelict site near the Clyde and I think it will be a good addition to the area.

“One of the concerns that is always raised is that student populations often feel a bit remote and not part of the existing community. I think a mix of housing and students is probably a good way to move forward.”

There were concerns about the balance between residential and student accommodation, with Cllr Eva Bolander, SNP, saying she “would have liked to see more housing as we have a housing crisis”.

“I think there is a risk that we are over-developing in student housing, and not creating the right mix that creates really good communities,” she added.

However, she said: “I think there are many benefits to this development. We are developing a brownfield site which is positive, we are getting more homes, which is positive.”

Council planners reported that the development would open up “a long-term vacant site on the river corridor” and provide a “significant number of new homes for a variety of tenancies, including both private flats and student accommodation”.

Currently the council does not believe it is “appropriate” to apply a 25% affordable housing provision, which is included in national planning policy. The position is that “affordable housing should be delivered through the council’s strategic housing investment programme”.

The developers will have to make a financial contribution of £380,000 to cover the lack of open space in the plans.