A new plan to guide student accommodation in Glasgow has been approved by Glasgow City Council.
The plan now incorporates revisions made following public consultation on the ‘Meeting Housing Needs’ section of supplementary guidance on student accommodation in the city. The consultation occurred between November 2020 – January 2021, and the responses saw 500 comments considered.
The consultation focused on the following themes: new locational criteria to assess a potential over-concentration of student accommodation in a particular area; the introduction of two new areas (South Partick / Yorkhill and Cowcaddens / Townhead) where student accommodation will not be supported; updated design criteria including a requirement for publically accessible ground floor uses; the introduction of a mixed-tenure requirement for developments over a certain development site threshold; the introduction of new guidance relating to a statement of need; a requirement for minimum space standards; and submission of a management plan.
The key changes made to the guidance following the consultation include: the guiding principle that no one area has limitless capacity to absorb student accommodation; the reinforced importance of considering built heritage in the design process; a mixed-tenure requirement is now expected in all sites over 0.3 hectares outwith the city centre and 0.2 hectares in the city centre.
Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convener for Neighbourhood, Housing and Public Realm at Glasgow City Council, said, said: “The new planning guidance on student accommodation will stop over-concentration in certain areas of the city and improve quality of design. While student accommodation is key to attracting and supporting a key part of Glasgow’s social and economic life, this more balanced approach to future development and provision will benefit our student population and the wider city.”
More information on the supplementary guidance can be found at: https://glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=53358
The guidance will now be submitted to the Scottish Government for consideration, and if no changes are proposed, will be adopted by the council.
