CITY councillors have refused permission for an “extremely excessive” build-to-rent and mixed-use development proposed for Glasgow City Centre.
Brickland Ltd wanted to build 182 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes at 64 to 72 Waterloo Street.
Glasgow’s planning committee today rejected the proposal following a hearing.
A high-rise, new-build element was to occupy the existing footprint of 70-72 Waterloo Street as well as the rear of the site.
The proposals also included restoring and re-purposing parts of the neighbouring B-listed Distillers’ House which has been unoccupied and in a state of deterioration for some time.
The building was badly damaged in a fire in the 1940s, which resulted in the original dome and roof features being removed. As part of the redevelopment, these features were to be reinstated, alongside stonework repairs.
In addition to new homes, there were to be commercial and residential amenity uses.
Planning officials had recommended refusal. Their report had stated: “Whilst planning permission has [previously] been approved for redevelopment of this site to include a tall building, the current proposals are considered to be excessive in scale to the point where they would unacceptably impact on the setting of the Glasgow Central Conservation Area
“The resultant density of 1,338 residential units per hectare is also considered to be extremely excessive.”
They said the proposed replacement building would result in “an unsympathetic and over-dominant development”, out of scale with the surrounding category A and B-listed buildings.
They also argued that formation of a mezzanine level within the third floor of 64 Waterloo Street, “would cut across upper levels of windows and would detrimentally impact on the special interest and appearance of the category B-listed building”.
A further reason to refuse was the a number of flats which they considered to be of poor aspect with poor light levels.
Planning permission was given in 2018 for a 14-storey grade-A office block at the site.
