Glasgow M&S to PBSA scheme to be approved

Glasgow City Council is minded to grant approval of Fusion Group’s plans for a £76m redevelopment of the former Marks & Spencer store at 184 Sauchiehall Street to provide a 619-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme. The plans will see the construction of a student-led mixed-use development on the site. In addition to the housing serving the city’s growing student population, the proposals will help to regenerate Sauchiehall Street, re-establishing the historical arcade link route through to Renfrew Street and creating 9,500 sq ft of commercial space at street level. Revised plans were submitted by the developer in March after initial proposals were narrowly refused by the council’s Planning Applications Committee in November last year. The new proposals address the comments made by the committee, including a reduction in overall height by one storey and significant adjustments on the Renfrew Street side, which has been lowered by four floors. Moreover, the inclusion of affordable accommodation has been increased to 15%, serving to further improve accessibility to accommodation for less well-off students. Brodie Berman, senior acquisitions associate at Fusion Group, said: “Having held long-standing ambitions to operate in the city, we are delighted to have reached this milestone, which will see £76m of investment injected directly into Sauchiehall Street, at the heart of Glasgow’s city centre. “Over the past 20 months, we have worked collaboratively with the council to develop a scheme that will make a positive impact on the local community, while also serving to address the shortfall of student beds in the city.” A spokesperson for Marks & Spencer said: “We are encouraged that Glasgow City Council is minded to grant approval for the reuse of our former store on Sauchiehall Street. “Delivering long-term activity on the site, the proposals align with our estates renewal strategy and will enable us to make further investment in Glasgow city centre over the coming years.” View market analytics for Glasgow >> Image © Matt Brook Architects