Glasgow set for new tallest building as student flats tower approved

Plans to build a 35-storey tower block that will become Glasgow’s tallest residential building have been given the green light.

The city’s planning committee has approved a bid to build a 784-bed student development on the site of Portcullis House, which is being partially demolished, near the M8.

A planning official told councillors the Glasgow Science Centre tower is “a taller structure… but this would be the tallest building”.

“There have been taller buildings approved but never implemented,” he added.

Known as ‘The Ard’, the tower will reach a reported height of 114m, compared to the 127m Science Centre tower.

A bid to reject the plans over concerns that the new tower would overshadow nearby listed buildings was defeated by ten votes to two. Calls for a site visit and hearing were also rejected.

The developers behind the scheme, Watkin Jones Group, said the project would address “a well-recognised undersupply of student accommodation” in the city.

The building will feature a games room, gym, kitchen and art studio.There will also be commercial space and a new office for the charity Glasgow Social Enterprise Network.

The design will incorporate parts of the existing Portcullis House, which was originally developed in the 1970s and was most recently used by HMRC but has been empty since 2020.

Cllr Eva Bolander, SNP, who was opposed to the development, said she had “some concerns in respect to the impact on the adjacent conservation area and listed buildings” which “we have not been able to clarify because we are not going to have a hearing”.

She added: “I am still concerned about how we are not developing the city centre with permanent residents, and it’s becoming more and more full of students. I don’t think that is a good way to go forward.”

There were five objections to the plan, including from Cllr Angus Millar, SNP, the council’s convener for city centre recovery, and 16 letters of support, with one from Labour MSP Paul Sweeney.

Council officials reported the scheme had been “designed to respond to the existing street context, whilst delivering a modern ‘landmark’ where it is felt that height can be accommodated on the site”.

They added: “It is considered that in this circumstance, the proposal can be successfully integrated and provide a positive contribution to the built environment as it has been designed to respond to this.”

A spokesperson for Watkin Jones Group said: “This mixed-use development, comprising high-quality student homes, will serve to address a well-recognised chronic undersupply of student accommodation in the city, also freeing up homes more appropriate for families.”

They added: “Redevelopment of the site will form a significant part of an overall renewal of the west end of the city centre, acting as a catalyst for change and enhancing the vitality of this part of the city.”

Stuart Patrick, CEO at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said the decision, as well as approval for the demolition of the O2 ABC on Sauchiehall Street, were a positive step for the city.

He said: “With much debate and discussion about what Glasgow needs to thrive, decisions like these are crucial in advancing the area’s development and will contribute to the broader revitalisation of Sauchiehall Street. We look forward to seeing the developments progress.”