City centre homeless shelter faces closure after planning permission refused

A homeless shelter in Glasgow city centre is facing closure after the latest bid to secure planning permission was refused.

Homeless Project Scotland (HPS) provides overnight accommodation and serves food to around 350 people a day from premises on Glassford Street.

But it has been operating without the required permission since late 2023. Glasgow’s planning committee rejected a retrospective application by eight votes to two today (Tuesday).

HPS will have the right of appeal for up to three months. Any enforcement action would be delayed until the conclusion of an appeal.

The decision came after planners at the council recommended refusal as the development has “been linked strongly to an increase in anti-social behaviour and crime in the Glassford Street locality”.

A report to councillors stated Police Scotland has confirmed there “have been 274 crimes directly attributed to the shelter since the first complaint was received in January 2024”.

Homeless Project Scotland's bid for planning permission has been rejected | Google Maps

placeholder image — Homeless Project Scotland's bid for planning permission has been rejected | Google Maps

However, the charity argued there are “no evidential links to these claims that demonstrate the direct link between the shelter’s operation and anti-social behaviours”. They added Police Scotland had not objected.

Planning permission was sought on a temporary basis, for up to five years, for the 24-hour shelter, which uses the ground floor and basement of a seven-storey building. Food is prepared off the premises and brought to Glassford Street to be served.

Cllr Ken Andrew, SNP, who chaired the planning committee, said: “I’m just not sure that this is the right location for a homeless shelter. I remain concerned about the number of individuals in the basement.

“As much as I would probably like to be in a position to go against the recommendation and be granting, I don’t think I can. I worry about this.”

He later added he was “concerned about the number of crimes tagged to this particular business”. “I think we have to accept Police Scotland’s data, I don’t think it’s for us to be able to second guess police data.”

Cllr Imran Alam, Labour, said: “If we abide by what the officers have recommended, we shut a facility which is providing much needed service for homeless people in Scotland.

“I’m not particularly convinced by the stats from Police Scotland, I think we got to take that with a pinch of salt and not attribute all those crimes to the service users who use the facility.”

“If we refuse this application, where are these people going to go? Are they going to continue sleeping on the streets? At least here they have got a place to stay, they have got access to hot food.”

He put forward an amendment to approve the application, but it was defeated by eight votes to two.

A council planner told the committee that the city’s health and social partnership had said there are other facilities available, and the decision “wouldn’t automatically result in the people using this facility not having an alternative”.

A previous planning bid, and an appeal, from HPS have also been rejected due to concerns over increased anti-social behaviour.

The council report stated: “It has been confirmed that the levels of criminal activity are extremely high and present a significant demand to Police Scotland, a demand that they confirm was not present at this location prior to January 2024.”

It added: “The housing emergency and challenges of homelessness are recognised as a matter of significant priority for the council.

“However, the impacts on the residential and business community of the anti-social behaviour described in in this report are given significant weight in assessing the suitability of the proposal at this location, and on balance are not mitigated by the potential to address the homelessness problem to an extent that they overcome the harmful effects of the fear of crime.”

Plans stated the shelter operates “a strict no tolerance policy to drugs and alcohol”. HPS said it offers services to “families and people who find themselves in a number of hardships that currently have few alternatives” and also provides “access to further counselling and opportunities that look to bring people out of these troubling circumstances”.

There are serviced apartments above the shelter. The operator of those properties, Spires Serviced Apartments, was among 11 objectors to the application. There were four letters of support.