PLANNERS have approved a £100million office and hotel development at the former City of Glasgow College campus.

Developers Osborne and Co have been given permission to turn the B-listed 14-storey Met Tower into offices and build a 264-bed hotel.

The North Hanover Street site will also have a public plaza between the two buildings.

Documents submitted to city planners stated: “The scheme proposes three distinct elements which will create a fully integrated mixed-use development. It is proposed that the main tower will be fully re-clad in matching materials and refitted to provide grade A office accommodation with open concrete ceilings, new lifts and raised floors.

“At the north of the site we propose the demolition of the existing podium building, and replace this with a 264-bed hotel development over 11 storeys. It’s primary entrance will be on the north-west corner of the site and gives the opportunity for active frontage on all four sides.

“Sitting between the existing tower and proposed hotel development will be a newly-created, publicly accessible, landscaped plaza, providing the glue between the existing and new.”

The statement continues: “Below this landscaped plaza is a retail offer, which will link through to the reception level of the tower and have active frontages on to both North Hanover Street and North Frederick Street.

“Our exciting proposal, we believe, works with the quirks and character of the existing building to create a new type of community and business ecosystem which will add greatly to the appeal of the North Bank of George Square.”

Osborne and Co is also behind a £140million office development on Argyle Street, which on completion will provide 283,000 sq ft of space and become JP Morgan’s new European technology hub.