UK: Glasgow City Council has rejected a townhouse conversion into serviced apartments after concerns over lack of homes available for rent.
Applicant Gurmit Dhaliwal had planned to convert the two townhouses on Berkeley Street into eight serviced apartments, arguing that it would help boost tourism in the city. The length of stay would range from a four night minimum to a maximum of six months.
Dhaliwal called on Glasgow’s planning review committee to overturn the council’s decision to refuse permission to change the use of the B-listed properties. The appeal was dismissed after a six-to-five vote for residential homes.
Bids for the site had been rejected last year after planning officials said that it lies within the Park Conservation Area and therefore the short-stay serviced apartments use would contradict council policy.
The council said: “The guidance on short-stay accommodation specifically advises that the council will strongly resist change of use of properties to short-stay flats in the Park Conservation Area.”
Dhaliwal’s agent argued that the proposal would have “no adverse impact on the character and amenity of the area… the site is not located within the heart of the conservation area where there are a significant number of non-residential uses and problems of parking and traffic congestions”.
Councillor Paul Leinster, SNP, said: “We want to encourage as much tourism as possible, we want tourists to have options for where they stay. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of the residential accommodation we already have in the city.
“We know how high rent is across the city, especially places like this towards the West End. I just don’t see how something like this could not have an impact on residential provision, when we are literally taking away eight homes from people in order to provide them for tourists. People often use it (short-stay accommodation) because they are coming to Glasgow to have a weekend away with friends and they’re drinking and they’re being loud. That’s fine, but it has an impact on the surrounding area,” Leinster added.
Councillor Kenny McLean, SNP, said: “To take mainstream housing units out of the stock of housing and give it to short-term accommodation would be totally going against the grain of what we are trying to do as a city.”
However, councillor Maureen Burke, Labour, suggested approving the application: “I think for the economy within the city it would have been quite good. I get the issues other colleagues are raising about social housing, because it’s something we need a lot more of.”
Councillor Thomas Kerr, Conservative, added: “I know other major cities do these short-term lets and I think it’s something we should be looking at in the city, to try and encourage as many visitors as possible. We all want to see Glasgow flourish as much as possible. This model, while it may not be perfect, is the kind of thing that does attract more people into the city.”
