A VACANT office building beside the M8 at Cowcaddens is being lined up for conversion to student accommodation.

Two floors would be added to the three-storey premises on Swan Street at Canal Street, if Glasgow planners approve the scheme.

There would be 105 studios provided, plus communal internal and external amenity areas.

Documents submitted with the planning application explain: “The building has been unoccupied for over two years but other than a recently arranged short-term let to a charity which uses the building to sort out donations, there has been little interest for the continued use of the building as office accommodation in the long term.

“Therefore, alternative avenues have been explored to identify an alternative function which will provide a longer term future for the site allowing the existing structure to be re-purposed.”

The statement continues: “It is proposed that the existing building structure will be partially retained. The building will be stripped back to the frame and, subject to further structural analysis, floors may also be retained and reconfigured as required in response to the necessary introduction of lifts and stairs.

“Accommodation will be provided in the form of studio rooms with integral kitchen spaces and en suite bathrooms.”