Plans unveiled for 170 studio flats for key workers near Glasgow Royal Infirmary

A new plan could see almost 170 studio flats for key workers built near to a Glasgow hospital.

Developers have asked Glasgow City Council for permission to provide a key worker housing development on empty land at Wishart Street.

They say the project “responds to an identified demand”, particularly for NHS staff, by “providing well-located, affordable homes” within a short walking distance of the Royal Infirmary.

An application for 78 build-to-rent flats on the site – which borders the Glasgow Necropolis – was approved in 2023, but the latest plan states that project became “financially unviable”.

It adds the build-to-rent sector has been “significantly impacted by sustained market pressures, including sharp rises in construction and financing costs”.

The new project, from CCP KWH 3 Ltd, is a joint venture between Cedarstone Capital Partners and Pinnacle AS Holdings. Pinnacle is also working on two purpose-built key worker housing developments in England.

Proposals for flats for key workers near hospital lodged with council LDRS

The plans state the project would bring “a long-vacant brownfield site back into effective use, transforming an underutilised plot beside the Glasgow Royal Infirmary into high-quality key worker housing.

“This directly supports regeneration priorities and prevents ongoing vacancy.”

It would include 168 studios, all equipped with a small kitchen, bed space, seating area, storage and en-suite, and a ground-floor communal kitchen, dining areas and working desks.

There would be a shared laundry area and a roof terrace with views across the Necropolis and towards Glasgow Cathedral.

The application adds the scheme would directly support NHS recruitment and retention. It continues: “Demand for key worker accommodation in Glasgow has increased significantly in recent years, driven by pressures on NHS workforce recruitment, rising rental costs, and a shortage of affordable homes within walking distance of major hospitals.

“At the same time, existing housing options around the Royal Infirmary are limited, often unaffordable, and not well suited to the needs of shift workers or rotational staff.

“As a result, there is a clear and growing requirement for purpose‑built key worker housing that offers secure, well‑managed, and conveniently located accommodation for hospital staff and other essential workers.”