A PROPOSAL to demolish a mid-19th century Glasgow City Centre warehouse to make way for a hotel has been approved by councillors.

Riverfront Property Ltd have been given permission for a 11-floor, 174-room hotel at 11 Oswald Street. The site is currently occupied by an unlisted former bonded warehouse built around 1844.

The development was backed today by the city’s planning applications committee. Planning officials had recommended approval, although around 50 objections were received.

Planners said in their report: “Given the building’s current condition, its demolition can be supported in connection with suitable measures for redevelopment of the site.

“The proposal is a high quality contemporary design that will complement the existing street scene, and will not have a detrimental impact upon key view points within the Conservation Area.

“The height and mass of the proposed hotel has been designed to respect the listed buildings within close proximity of the application site.”

A design document included with the planning application stated that numerous alterations and extensions over the years have had a “detrimental effect on the original character of the existing building” which has been vacant for two decades since its last use as a health club.

The statement continued: “There has been no maintenance carried out during this period and the building has fallen into a severe state of deterioration.

“All the internal spaces have suffered varying degrees of extensive damage due to long-term effects of water ingress caused by failures of the gutters, rainwater goods, and roof.

“Many of the structural elements have reached the end of their design life and substantial remediation works would be required to reinstate the building into a safe habitable condition.

“Core [stone] samples were found to be highly fragmentary.”

The document further stated: “The external repairs required to bring it into a reasonable state of repair would be extensive and would require a high level of investment, the structural condition report advises that the resultant structure would not have longevity and indicates that the repairs would not be worthwhile.

“Whilst the building does have the potential to be repaired in principle it is not likely to be credible given the doubtful longevity of the resultant structure.

“This site offers an opportunity for investment and a catalyst to improve this part of Oswald Street generally.”

A neighbouring site, on the corner with Broomielaw is subject to proposals for a hotel development.