Glasgow homeless night shelter refused planning permission after appeal rejected

Glasgow’s homeless night shelter has been refused planning permission after its appeal was rejected – but councillors encourage the charity to apply again with a more comprehensive plan.

Homeless Project Scotland offers overnight accommodation for about 30 people on mattresses and serves food to about 350 people a day in the city centre.

A council meeting heard today the Glassford Street premises can continue operating, however, while another application is to be submitted within three months.

Among concerns were a lack of separate toilet facilities for men and women, a 74 per cent rise in crime reports in the area and that the planning bid did not cover the whole premises including the soup kitchen.

Labour councillors voted to grant consent and allow the appeal from the charity while SNP and a Scottish Green councillor voted to knock back the bid at the planning local review committee.

Arguing for the shelter to be given permission, Councillor Cecilia O’Lone said: “It is not an ideal situation. It is not what we want in 2025.”

She said the city should be “beyond that” but is in the grip of a housing crisis.

She said the shelter meets “basic human needs that are not met elsewhere”.

Councilllor O’Lone added: “At that moment in time – it meets their needs – they have somewhere safe and warm and they have a bed.

“They might not be perfect but that is where we are.”

Councillor Imran Alam said: “I think the facility is unfortunately much needed. We should not have to rely on this facility but that is life. People rely on a hot meal and a warm place to stay at night.”

Committee chair Ken Andrew lodged a motion to refuse the appeal, seconded by councillor Eva Bolander.
Pointing out concerns, he listed mattresses on the floor, lack of showers, toilet facilities not being gender segregated as well as the management plan for the facility being thin.

Councillor Bolander said “we are not social services”, adding: “we have to look at planning policy”.

Also raising the issue of the toilet area not being segregated, she said: “As I see it the provision is not adequate.”

She pointed out there had been an increase in crime including sexual assaults.

Councillor Bolander said she is “not against homeless people,” and added: “I am happy to provide a very good service to our homeless people.”

Councillors went into a private online room to discuss the application.

Afterwards the majority of the local politicians voted to reject the bid but an officer said the shelter can remain open until a more comprehensive planning application is submitted within a likely time frame three months.

Councillor Jill Pidgeon seconded by Councillor Saqib Ahmed lodged an amendment to grant the appeal – allowing granting permission for a period of six months with conditions including that a management plan be supplied.

The majority of councillors rejected the amendment – voting for the motion instead- turning down the appeal.

The shelter was originally refused planning permission in April with that decision upheld today.

The shelter has been operating since November 2023.