More than 400 homes plan at Glasgow's River Kelvin recommended for approval

KR Developments Group wants to build four blocks of flats for private rent on vacant land at Beith Street as part of a development which would also include a riverside walkway.

It has secured the backing of council officers, who say councillors should give the scheme the green light this week.

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But 11 objections were submitted, including from Glasgow MSP Patrick Harvie.

Objectors believe there is a need for more affordable housing in the city and have concerns over the size of the buildings and the impact on current residents’ well-being.

If approved, the project will see 424 build-to-rent flats constructed across four blocks ranging from 11 to 14 storeys. They would all be under the control of a management company.

A contribution of just over £288,000 would be required from the developer to cover a shortfall in open space provided on the site.

KR Developments Group says it is investing over £90 million in the project, which will develop a brownfield site, deal with contaminated land and repair a partially collapsed riverside wall.

It believes the build-to-rent model will “provide a high quality renting experience with prompt attention to residents’ needs and continual high levels of maintenance.”

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The scheme, which includes 34 studios, 213 one-bed, 142 two-bed and 36 three-bed flats, would also have an outdoor garden, gym, lounge area and cafe.

The developer says the proposal brings vacant and derelict land back into effective use and the rent model offers “significant opportunities to complement existing housing delivery.”

The developer said: “It will provide high-quality, purpose-built rented accommodation that will enhance the attractiveness of Glasgow, for new and different developers and long-term investors at scale. It can also support labour market mobility by providing homes for people moving into areas for work.”

However, Patrick Harvie, a Green MSP, said: “Given the demand for social housing in the city, and the over concentration of student accommodation in this area, the brownfield site in question holds greater potential to be repurposed to address the lack of social housing stock in Glasgow.”

Another objector said there are “woefully few green spaces around Partick as it is” while one nearby resident claimed the scheme would “drive up rental prices in a working-class area.” They added the flats would not address issues with the affordability of housing for local families and first-time buyers.

A report by council officers stated the proposed development is considered to be “appropriate in scale, design and use of high quality materials and will make a successful contribution to its setting.”

It said: “The proposed residential use is wholly compatible with the location of the site and its management can be safeguarded through a suitably worded management plan.  “The delivery of a key section of the Kelvin walkway will help deliver the enhanced linkages required by the city development plan.”

Historically part of a railway yard, the land has been vacant since 2005 and was previously the subject of a planning row involving Tesco, when the company proposed a supermarket and student flats on the site.

The riverside walkway would be formed after the partially collapsed wall has been repaired. A car park would accommodate 48 cars and 538 bikes, with access from Castlebank Street.