Almost 1,000 beds of student flats and 400 recommended houses approved by Glasgow Council

More than 400 homes and a 934-bed student accommodation facility could be built near the River Clyde after a firm was given the go-ahead by Glasgow City Council.

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

Councilors made the decision at a hearing on Tuesday morning, where Stuart Black, the firm’s director of development, said his company was “well positioned” to help the city provide more student housing.

Summix had intended to provide a hotel on the site under a previously approved application, but told the council it had been replaced by student accommodation due to “insufficient demand for hotels and offices”.

They can now build 409 residential flats and offer 934 student beds across four blocks on the site, 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 would overwhelm stretched services such as doctors and dentists, a lack of social housing and potentially high rents.

Mr Black said his firm had approached the NHS but had “not had a particularly successful dialogue with them”. He said it had also held “early talks” with dentists and pharmacists, asking them to come back once the 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 in a good position to help solve this problem,” he said.

Mr Black added that Summix also “understood the demand for standard housing and as a residential developer with expertise in this area we felt we could deliver that as well”.

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

Director Imran Alam, Labour, said: “I think this is a very good development. If we look at the downtown housing strategy, the key is to increase the population to 40,000. To do that, we have to build somewhere. I think it’s a good combination of living and being a student.”

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

“One of the concerns that comes up all the time is that students often feel a bit removed, so they’re not part of the community that exists. I think a combination of residential and student housing is probably a good way to try to move forward.”

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

“I think there’s a risk that we’re overdeveloping for student accommodation and not creating a good mix that creates really good communities,” she added.

However, she said: “I think there are many reasons for this development. We’re developing brownfield, which is positive, we’re getting more residential housing, which is positive.”

Council planners said the development would unlock a “long-term vacant site on the river corridor” and offer “a significant number of new homes of varying tenure, both private flats and student accommodation”.

At present, the council does not believe it is “appropriate” to apply the 25% provision of affordable housing that is part of national planning policies. It takes the view that “affordable housing should be delivered through the council’s strategic housing investment programme”.

Developers will have to provide a financial contribution of £380,000 to cover the lack of open space in the plans.