Minerva Street homeowners OBJECT bid to turn £320k-per-flat Glasgow complex into 'hotel'

More than 40 residents have rejected a bid that would see part of their newly-built Minerva Street block in Finnieston transformed into short-term lets.

The application – put to planning chiefs at Glasgow City Council by apartment-hotel firm, Sonder – would make way for 45 serviced flats. 

Under management intentions, guests and residents would be provided with a security team from 8am until 8pm every day with staff on-call to “deal with any issues”.

On event evenings in the city, bodyguards would be on-site until 1am.
Additionally, the firm would make a residents’ helpline available 24 hours per day while a CCTV system has been installed in the area. 

But residents have blasted the measures as an “intrusion” to the neighbourhood, arguing that the properties were advertised as residential and should remain so. 

A number of arguments surround their disapprovals – including concerns about noise, privacy, the risk of parties and community loss.

One objection from homeowner, Stephen Docherty, reads: “I share a common wall with the proposed site, and have a patio door (off of my only bedroom) that leads directly onto the path leading to the proposed serviced apartments.

“The Sonder initiative, if given the go-ahead, could set an unwelcome precedent for the Finnieston community, given the number of new developments proposed/underway in the area. 

“Making it for tourists, not Finnieston locals. This has the potential to destabilise and harm community cohesion.”

Resident, Christine Walsh, added: “The high turnover of guests, the impact on shared amenity space, the level of nuisance, noise and litter and the concern over safety means the consequent intrusion and loss of privacy will be considerable.”

Another local, named Steven McKinnon, raised fears around future resales of the family flats. He said he wouldn’t have purchased his property if he knew the complex would accommodate short-term lets.

His objection reads: “The developer nor its development partners ever conveyed to buyers as being related to serviced apartments, which would have swayed my decision in buying the property in this development. And may have an affect future resales for owners.”

The flats are only a stone’s throw away from one of Glasgow’s most popular entertainment venues, the OVO Hydro, which hosted COP26 in November.

Cllr Angus Millar

Homeowner Kirsty Colquhoun argues that the bid would change the character of Finnieston, with guests in the area currently separated from residents in hotels.

The objector said: “All the other tourist accommodation in the area is separated from the expressway but this is very different – some residents will have to share walls with guests at the complex.

“It will be hard for them to live with if this goes ahead, would you buy a flat that is next door to a short-term let? They’ll be faced with noise pollution.

“It changes the character of the area – we are right next to a conservation area which is residential. This will change the area to touristy. 

“I moved here thinking that I would get to know my neighbours, these things make you feel safe whereas our neighbours will be people who are coming and going day-to-day.”

She added: “The fact that they are offering security in the first place gives us an expectation that there will be anti-social behaviour and trouble. This isn’t acceptable in residential accommodation where there are young families and people trying to sleep for work.

“The development was given planning permission for a residential complex and it was marketed as a residential complex – that’s what we thought we were buying.”

Meanwhile, local Councillor Angus Millar branded the planning application as “unacceptable” for the neighbourhood.

He argues that the bid alone puts a “worrying precedent” on those who wish to buy new-build property in Glasgow with fears over future residential developments being transformed into short-term let facilities. 

The SNP representative said: “Turning these flats – which sit cheek-by-jowl with mainstream residential properties and share communal areas including car parking, bin sheds and a pend entrance – into short-term lets would have an unacceptable impact on the residents who have made this development their home.

“More broadly, these proposals would set a worrying precedent about the diversion of new-build homes in the city to tourist accommodation. 

“These flats were given planning permission as homes for people to live in and it will be worrying for those looking to buy property to see this attempt to move the goalposts about the use and nature of this complex only after residents have moved in.”

Last month, we told how outraged residents claimed that the potential project was pre-empted between developers, the short-term lets company and estate agents, Savills, way before their point of purchase.

Drum Property Group said that the properties in question are no longer its responsibility, while Savills disclosed it had not had a sales presence at the address since last summer. 

A spokesperson for Sonder said: We leased 41 units in Finnieston in July 2019 during the development phase of the property. 

“We employ dedicated, full-time local teams on site, and have a comprehensive management plan in place for the operation of all units. 

“Following engagement with residents, we’ve further strengthened these measures to include an extended on-site presence while local events are taking place, updated guest access arrangements, and a 24/7 contact number for residents to reach our team. 

“We operate a strict no-party policy, and all guests must complete ID verification at the time of booking. 

“Issues relating to disturbance are not something we recognise from our experience elsewhere.”

Residents have until February 10 to make a comment on the proposals on the Glasgow City Council website. 

View the planning application HERE.