The city centre will become home to thousands more students under plans to build more purpose-built accommodation.

It seems to many that the only residential development taking place in Glasgow city centre is the building of student flats.Empty retail units, former office space and disused property are being repurposed or demolished, and the plan to replace them is very often student accommodation.

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The council’s plan for the city centre and the loss of retail and office workers is to increase the population. The target is 40,000 residents.

In the last year, the Glasgow Times has been aware of more than a dozen large developments that are entirely or mainly student flats.

A snapshot of almost 20 developments in the pipeline over the last year shows more than 5000 student flats will be created.

(Image: newsquest) (Image: LDR)

The council said that developers are responding to the market as Glasgow has a shortage of student accommodation.

One of the most high-profile sites is the former Marks and Spencer store on Sauchiehall Street.

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It has been vacant since the firm closed the doors in May 2022.

The plan for the site is a multi-storey block of more than 600 student flats with retail on the ground floor.

Another site is the former ABC cinema and music venue on the same street, destroyed in the second Art School fire.

The plan for that is not to replace it with another entertainment venue but with more than 350 student flats.

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Along the River Clyde and in the city centre, Merchant City /High Street area every week there is another planning application for student accommodation.

(Image: LDR) (Image: LDR)

Glasgow declared a housing emergency late last year, the number of people living in temporary accommodation in the city has risen to more than 7000, more than 1700 are in hotels and B&Bs and there is a shortage of homes for social rent.

The council strategy is for all types of housing but the number of developments for student flats appears to far outnumber those for social housing in the city centre.

The council said there are plans for housing association homes in the St Enoch masterplan to replace the shopping centre.

The other type of tenure under construction is built to rent but with prices of £1500 a month for a two-bed flat, the homes are well out of reach of those affected by the housing emergency.

Social landlords want to see more affordable homes for rent in the city centre.

Sally Thomas, chief executive of Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “Social homes make lives and places better and are already a core part of the city centre in Glasgow, where many people choose to live.

“However, Glasgow undoubtedly and urgently needs more social homes, in all its communities.

“According to our own polling, over 87% of people in Glasgow agree there’s a housing crisis, and Glasgow City Council itself has declared a housing emergency.” 

The student flats issue comes up regularly at community council meetings in the area.

Scott Thornton, of Merchant City and Trongate Community Council, said: “We are not against student accommodation as such.”

He added, however: “There are far too many  applications going through despite objections from residents.”

He said the latest to be objected to is at Granite House in Trongate.

Mr Thornton added: “We’ve been told developers know they can make more money out of student accommodation.”

He added: “Glasgow has become developer led, not city council led.”

He said there needs to be a greater mix, adding: “We feel there should be more social housing.

“We’re told there will be social housing at the St Enoch development.”

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It is fair to say he is sceptical, adding: “We’ll believe it when we see it.”

With plans for more  developments, Mr Thornton said: “The city centre is becoming a mini university campus.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “While clearly there are a number of planning applications for student accommodation currently under consideration in the city centre, this is just part of a wider trend as the population of the area increases.

“The population increase is being seen in a range of tenures - the council’s City Centre Strategy looks for development of all types of housing tenures. 

“It should also be recognised that there are a number of residential developments recently completed, taking place or in the pipeline in the city centre, i.e. the Barclays Campus, Holland Park, Candleriggs Square and others such as the acquisition of a St Enoch Square property for housing association flats show that there is a mix of housing coming to the city centre.

“The council has a pilot project to repurpose city centre spaces to provide homes and through the Scottish Cities Alliance, Glasgow is playing a very active role in working with the Scottish Government to change regulations to make it easier to build in the city centre.

“Finally, we have other proposals in and around the city centre for other forms of housing including the conversion of heritage buildings.”