A MAJOR high street retailer is showing “concrete interest” in opening a store at the vacant BHS building in Glasgow City Centre.

A planning application has been made in relation to the store, which has frontages on Sauchiehall Street, Renfield Street and Bath Street.

The identity of the company has not been revealed in documents submitted to Glasgow City Council but a supporting statement explains: “The tenant is a high quality and well-known high street retailer looking to occupy part of the overall property.”

The application seeks to confirm conditions for use of the building for food and non-food retail and also proposes alterations.

The retailer wants to be able to open 6am to midnight, seven days a week, with no restrictions on the nature or volumes of goods allowed to be displayed or sold.

A design statement submitted with the application explains: “The proposed scheme seeks to retain the existing building in its current form and propose a series of minor modifications to the external façade, which will neither stifle or deter future wholesale regeneration of the site.”

Modifications include new shopfront glazing, a realigned shop front along Sauchiehall Street replacing the existing ramped recessed entrance, the removal of the Renfield Street stepped entrance, and general uplift and repair of the façade.

The statement continues: “These modifications aspire to bring life back to an empty building which stands in a poor state of disrepair on one of Glasgow’s main retail destinations.”

British Homes Stores closed in 2016 after more than 50 years of trading from the premises. A mixed-use development was approved but has not progressed.

Under the new proposal, the ground floor would be used for sales space with ancillary use of the first floor, and potential second floor use later.

Agents for the applicant have not been able to locate the original BHS planning consent to clarify any conditions that were attached. They state: “Therefore, matter such as hours of occupation, noise, servicing, etc, which are critical to the tenant, are open to interpretation and therefore have to be addressed within the proposed development.

“The proposed occupation of the site by a high-quality retailer and commitment to Sauchiehall Street is a huge boost in these challenging times.

“The proposed works…will revitalise this urban block with a vibrant occupier that will attract footfall.”

The application is pending consideration by city planners.