Plans to transform the former ABC building on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street into student accommodation and a ground floor food hall have now been submitted for planning.

Haus Collective has submitted a detailed application for the key site on behalf of urban regeneration specialist Vita Group.

Under the plans, the fire-damaged building will be demolished to make way for 356 student bed spaces all clustered around communal kitchens — 306 beds provided by way of four, five and six-bed student clusters, plus 50 studios.

The foodhall would be at ground and mezzanine levels. There would be a courtyard for students and the wider community.

The site sits between Sauchiehall St and Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building.

A design statement included with the planning application explained: “The ABC was previously one of the city’s busiest and most renowned live music venues, before it was devastated by the Glasgow School of Art fire in 2018.

A petition calling on the Scottish Government to step in and stop the ‘unjust’ demolition of historic buildings is to be considered by parliament.

SAVE Britain’s Heritage, who launched the petition in June, want to see MSP’s address legislation loopholes which allow protected buildings like the ABC to be torn down using emergency powers.

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Objection: 24/01680/FUL: 292-332 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow
I note with great concern the proposal to grant planning permission for the erection of student housing immediately to the south of Mackintosh’s masterpiece, The Glasgow School of Art.

I do not object to the redevelopment of the site in principle and welcome the attempts by the city to regenerate this important Glasgow thoroughfare.

However, the proposal presented is clearly unsympathetic to the character of Sauchiehall Street, the Central Conservation Area, and casts a shadow over Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art Building. I believe that the proposal in question represents a distinct over-development of the site.

As part of this planning process, I would like to question Building Control in their decision to use the Dangerous Building Notice, which specifies that the entire front and side façade of the O2 ABC must be demolished, with no mention of retention. This fire ravaged listed building has sat undisturbed for six years with no issues about being unsafe.  This is a typical trend of councils to use a loophole to demolish listed buildings under emergency public safety powers without providing evidence to justify their actions. The case follows the highly controversial demolition of Category B listed Ayr Station Hotel by South Ayrshire Council.

The proposed building is eight stories high, five higher than the Thomson-designed CCA directly to the west and three higher than the McLellan Galleries to the east. It will have a significant impact on the setting and character of the Glasgow School of Art. The scale of the development will result in a loss of light to the studios facing south of the art school building, whilst impacting significantly on the urban context. The Mackintosh building is like a castle perched on its hill and has always looked out over the city. The scale of this proposed development will have a detrimental effect on the south elevation of Mackintosh’s masterpiece.

Within the Glasgow City Council Development Plan the council outlines its aims “to ensure the appropriate protection, enhancement and management of Glasgow’s heritage assets by providing clear guidance to applicants. The Council will protect, conserve and enhance the historic environment in line with Scottish Planning Policy/Scottish Historic Environment Policy for the benefit of our own and future generations. The Council will assess the impact of proposed developments and support high quality design that respects and complements the character and appearance of the historic environment and the special architectural or historic interest of its listed buildings, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, archaeology, historic gardens and designed landscapes and their settings. The Council is unlikely to support development that would have a negative impact on the historic environment.”

Our built heritage is irreplaceable, and most people recognise its cultural and economic value, but unfortunately Glasgow’s heritage is becoming endangered and once destroyed, we cannot get it back.

I would appeal to Glasgow City Council to refuse this planning application and request the applicant re-submits a design that has empathy with an A-listed building of such world importance.

Stuart Robertson, Director