An appeal over rejected plans to convert two Glasgow townhouses into eight serviced apartments has been thrown out.
The applicant, Gurmit Dhaliwal, called on Glasgow’s planning review committee to overturn council officials’ decision to refuse permission to change the use of the B-listed properties at 75-77 Berkeley Street.
But councillors dismissed the appeal, after a tight 6-5 vote, as they believed the buildings should remain as residential homes.
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Mr Dhaliwal wanted to use the townhouses, which planning officials said were currently in use as “mainstream residential properties”, into serviced apartments, with a minimum length of stay of four nights and a maximum of six months.
Previous bids to change the use of the four flats at 75 Berkeley Street had been rejected last year. Planning officials said the site lies within the Park Conservation Area and therefore the short-stay serviced apartments use would contradict council policy.
“The guidance on short-stay accommodation specifically advises that the Council will strongly resist change of use of properties to short-stay flats in the Park Conservation Area,” they added.
In the appeal, the applicant’s agent argued the proposal would “allow for investment in the buildings and delivery of eight high quality serviced apartments in a sustainable and easily accessible area of Glasgow”.
It said Glasgow’s tourism and visitor plan’s ambition is to “grow the economy by increasing overnight leisure tourism visits” and “further supply in quality tourism accommodation is essential”.
Mr Dhaliwal also said a management plan would ensure “no adverse impact on the character and amenity of the area” and the appeal argued the buildings are near the edge of the conservation area boundary.
“The site is not located within the heart of the conservation area where there are a significant number of non-residential uses and problems of parking and traffic congestions,” it added.
Cllr Paul Leinster, SNP, said: “We want to encourage as much tourism as possible, we want tourists to have options for where they stay. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of the residential accommodation we already have in the city.
“We know how high rent is across the city, especially places like this towards the West End. I just don’t see how something like this could not have an impact on residential provision, when we are literally taking away eight homes from people in order to provide them for tourists.”
He added: “People often use it [short-stay accommodation] because they are coming to Glasgow to have a weekend away with friends and they’re drinking and they’re being loud. That’s fine, but it has an impact on the surrounding area.”
Cllr Kenny McLean, SNP, added: “To take mainstream housing units out of the stock of housing and give it to short-term accommodation would be totally going against the grain of what we are trying to do as a city.”
However, Cllr Maureen Burke, Labour, suggested approving the application as she believed it would “be an enhancement to the area”. “I think for the economy within the city it would have been quite good," she added. "I get the issues other colleagues are raising about social housing, because it’s something we need a lot more of.”
Cllr Thomas Kerr, Conservative, said: “I know other major cities do do these short-term lets and I think it’s something we should be looking at in the city, to try and encourage as many visitors as possible.
“We all want to see Glasgow flourish as much as possible. This model, while it may not be perfect, is the kind of thing that does attract more people into the city.”
There were six votes for Cllr Ken Andrew’s motion to refuse planning permission and five for Cllr Burke’s amendment to approve the bid.
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