Council to develop residential strategy for Glasgow city centre

Published: 9 September 2016

Glasgow City Council, as part of its City Centre Strategy, is to develop a residential strategy for the area. Glasgow city centre is already home to 28,000 people.

The council has appointed international real estate advisor Savills to assist on this residential strategy, forming a team with expertise in economic development, local regeneration, housing, property and planning.  The team will consult with a range of city centre stakeholders.

In the review of this residential strategy, the team will consider the current city centre residential market, existing and vacant residential space, and examine live planning applications to clarify market interest.

The team will also consider which areas in the city centre are most viable for residential expansion, the possibility of converting former commercial and office space for residential uses, and which districts in the city centre would be best suited to different housing types.  Barriers to residential and development and use will also be examined.

Other issues which will be scrutinised include private renting initiatives in UK cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, examining local and national policies which are likely to affect residential development in the city centre, and identifying potential funding sources.

These actions will allow the council to deliver a new city centre residential strategy.

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "The city centre operates in a rapidly changing environment, and it seems likely that there will be both greater demand for city centre living and the opportunity to do so.  So it is wise to consider all the options in front of us to ensure that the city centre continues to be a fantastic place in which to not only live, but work, study and invest in.  I look forward to the results of the public engagement for this strategy review and the final recommendations for the city centre residential strategy."  

Jamie Doran, Director of Residential Development at Savills in Glasgow, said: "The growth of Glasgow's residential capacity needs to work in tandem with the overall strategy for the city centre if it is to be successful and sustainable.  As such, through detailed evaluation of residential supply and demand, and the involvement of the key people, stakeholders and businesses that play an important part in Glasgow's city centre, we will inform new planning policy which will allow new opportunities for city centre living to be unlocked."