March 4 2024

A blocked bid to build student flats on the site of a former Sauchiehall Street department store is back with amended proposals to address councillors' concerns of an over-provision of student flats.

Cautioning that the street's retail glory days are behind it Savills advocate alternative uses for a site which is also assessed to have little occupier demand for hotel or office use, demonstrated by the collapse of a hotel buyer for the nearby Dunnes store and a lack of commercial tenants seeking large floorplates.

Warning of the scale of the challenge facing the street as it transitions from retail the real estate specialists warn: "... following on from the effects of key anchors departing or closing, Sauchiehall Street is characterised and has been for a long time by temporary occupiers.

"Furthermore, the extent of temporary occupiers who are on short-term lease agreements means the current vacancy rate of 14.47% is an artificial figure which does not truly reflect the challenges facing Sauchiehall Street and the retailing function it serves. It is estimated that up to 20% of the occupied units on Sauchiehall Street are currently let to temporary occupiers on rolling monthly leases which provides limited security on the vitality and vibrancy of the street moving forward."

Returning with tweaked proposals Fusion Developments and Matt Brook Architects have shrunk the Renfrew Street elevation by four floors to assuage concerns about overdevelopment. 

3 Comments

#1 Posted by NotANimbyJustHateYoungPeople on 4 Mar 2024 at 12:05 PM

Given how close the original vote was, the widespread negative reaction to it, the fact that some councillors that you might have expected to vote to approve weren't present, and the developer addressing some of the (tenuous) grounds for refusal, you'd hope it would pass this time.

There has also been an appeal made to ScotGov about the original refusal, so there are two paths to seeing this ludicrous decision reversed

#2 Posted by town planner on 4 Mar 2024 at 13:23 PM

Would have preferred a more modest trim than 4 stories which seems like alot. Glasgow's competition in the UK - Manchester/Birmingham/Liverpool et al are consistently more ambitious.

#3 Posted by Roddy_ on 4 Mar 2024 at 22:55 PM

One wonders if we can truly regenerate the city centre with such bleak and sterile designs to add to the plethora of austerity architecture in the city.

Eyes down for a full house as the Planning Committee now turns its attentions to the site bounded by Cheapside Street/Piccadilly Street/Warroch Street/Anderston Quay and the weird array of upturned shoe boxes with filing cabinet windows.The black and white panelled block, a particular low among an especially mediocre lot. Should be a stick-on.

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