Plans to turn empty offices into flats approved by Glasgow city council

Empty offices above Glasgow city centre shops can be turned into flats after council approval was secured.

Glasgow City Council has granted permission for two one-bedroom apartments in the upper floors above a Sainsbury’s store on Argyle Street.

Council officials rejected previous plans for a change of use that would have included four flats in 2023.

Documents submitted on behalf of the applicant, Sohail Ahmed, stated allowing residential use at 9-11 Argyle Street would prevent the building from falling into disrepair.

The upper floors, also above a former EE shop which has since been used to sell souvenirs and vapes, will be turned into “one studio flat per level”.

They will have a new front door access from Stockwell Street, and the applicant plans to “decorate and maintain the entrance and stairwell to maintain a bright internal finish”.

No car parking will be included in the development.

The application added: “To maintain the character and use of the buildings is a high priority… there must be additional methods to allow full use of properties rather than let them stagnate and fall into disrepair due to lack of upkeep.

“The reintroduction of domestic properties within the city’s existing fabric will mean that the density will increase, and there will be fewer empty and vacant properties above ground level.

“The recent Covid pandemic has further reduced the possibility of these upper floor areas being used as office spaces as many people have decided to work from home.”

Plans for four apartments, submitted in 2022, were rejected as officials believed they would provide a “substandard format of residential accommodation”.

Their reasons included the “absence of windows to bedrooms” and the proposed properties’ narrow widths, with planners reporting they would “fail to provide adequate levels of amenity.”