Plans to turn Glasgow Southside hotel at Queen's Park into flats recommended for approval by council

Officials at Glasgow City Council believe a bid to redevelop the Ivory Hotel, on Camphill Avenue, should be given the go ahead.

The firm behind the scheme, Ola Properties Ltd, wants to provide 16 flats on the site due to “recent challenges facing the hospitality sector”.

There have been 33 objections to the plan, with some neighbours concerned the proposed development is too large and imposing for the site.

They have also argued it is not in keeping with the character of the area, would impact on privacy and daylight to nearby homes and should include affordable housing. Seven letters of support have also been submitted.

Plans reveal an extension to the rear of the hotel, which accommodates a restaurant, kitchen and customer toilets, would be demolished.

Existing hotel buildings would be converted into six flats and more apartments would be built on the current car park. Planning documents show there would be 10 new-build properties.

Each home would have a car parking space and a roof garden is also planned. The owners would need to agree to pay £43,000 due to a lack of on-site amenity provision, such as a children’s play area, in the plans.

The owners acquired the hotel in 2001, changing the name from the Mulberry to the Ivory, but have said “recent challenges facing the hospitality sector have led to the owners deciding to pursue redevelopment and a change of use”. 

“Ola Properties Limited is the development vehicle of the Glasgow based current owners of the Ivory Hotel,” the plans stated. “The family has owned and operated the Ivory for over 20 years and they are well respected and committed members of the local community. 

“As such the applicant is focused on delivering a high quality sustainable legacy development that will enable new residents to integrate into the established Shawlands and Langside community.”

Council planners have reported the proposal “requires small parts of the building to be demolished to allow for the proposed extension to create residential flats, but the demolition does not raise any significant concerns as most of the building is being retained and converted”.

They added: “The proposed residential development is located within an area which is primarily residential. It is considered that the use would be compatible with the surrounding residential properties and is not a use that would raise unacceptable noise issues. 

“Overall, it is considered that the scale, massing and siting is in keeping with that of the surrounding area.”

Glasgow’s planning committee granted permission in principle for two separate applications for the site in February 2022. One consent was for the erection of flats but did not include the conversion of the hotel.

It included plans for a cafe on the ground floor of the hotel. The new application is “for a wholly residential conversion of the existing hotel building and does not include any proposal for café use”.

The other approved application allowed an extension and annexe to the hotel including office space, but the new application stated this proposal is “not being pursued”.