Plans to turn former Barmulloch care home into hostel submitted to Glasgow City Council

A former Barmulloch care home could be converted into a hostel under new plans submitted to the council.

W100 Ltd has requested permission to turn the empty Broomfield Court care home, which closed in 2022, into short-stay accommodation.

The firm, which also runs Alba Hostel Glasgow in the West End, has claimed its aim is “to create one of the best hostels” in the city, by “providing spacious, comfortable bedrooms with numerous communal living amenities and private outdoor space”.

Documents submitted by the applicant state the site “no longer complies with current Care Inspectorate regulations and therefore cannot be re-registered as a care home” without significant work.

When the closure was announced in April 2022, Larchwood Care, which owned the home for dementia patients, said it was “not financially viable”.

Under the new plan to “restore and redevelop the site”, a 74-bed hostel would open. It has been claimed the use can be integrated “sympathetically to the existing built form with minimal conversion”.

The plans add: “The proposed design will maintain the key features of the building, and enhance its existing landscape setting, contributing to the quality of the townscape, and enhancing the character and appearance of the area.”

The company is planning to “improve the availability, range and choice of new short-stay accommodation” in this part of the city, and has said it is “committed to the regeneration of this site and providing long-term economic stimulus and activity to the area”.

If the plans are approved, hostel bookings would need to be made online in advance, with no one-night stays permitted. The main door would be closed between 10pm and 8am.

There would be a 24-hour reception service, including a night porter, and no loud music would be allowed after 10pm. Cycle parking and 22 car parking spaces are set to be provided.

The firm’s application concluded the “benefits of this proposal are significant”.

“The proposed hostel is an excellent addition to the area and will help meet the growing demand for short-stay accommodation within the city,” it said.