Battlefield residents raise concerns over plans to build three flat blocks near old Victoria Infirmary

Plans to build three blocks of flats near the old Victoria Infirmary site are recommended for approval despite fears over the impact on Battlefield.

Almost 50 people have objected to Sanctuary Scotland’s bid to build homes for over 55s on a former car park at Grange Road.

Permission was previously granted for 36 flats on the land, which was once home to Queen’s Park School. But the owners have returned to seek approval for more properties, with 46 affordable homes proposed.

Planners at Glasgow City Council are recommending the scheme gets the go ahead when councillors meet on Thursday. However, objectors are worried about the proposed height and scale of the buildings and potential loss of daylight to neighbouring properties.

They also fear the loss of the area’s historic character, exacerbated parking and road safety concerns and the additional pressure on local amenities from this proposal and the ongoing redevelopment of the former Victoria Infirmary, where over 400 homes are being constructed.

There have been 48 objections in total, including one from the Battlefield Rest restaurant, which states visitors are already struggling to park in the area. Five letters of support have been submitted.

School buildings on the land, at Grange Road, were demolished between 1995 and 2006, with the site most recently used as a car park. It has been empty since October 2019.

Sanctuary Scotland bought the site in November 2019 and secured approval for 36 flats, which runs until February 25, 2027. It now wants to build 46 flats for rent for over 55s, with a private communal garden, 14 car parking spaces and publicly accessible green space.

There would be two five-storey blocks and one, with four wings, which has five, six and seven-storey sections.

Planners have reported that while there is the “potential for daylighting impacts in some habitable rooms within some of the terraced dwellinghouses, the impacts are unlikely to be perceivable”.

They are also satisfied that the development would not lead to a loss of privacy for neighbours, and will not have a significant detrimental impact on nearby listed buildings, like Battlefield Rest, or the historic battlefield.

“There is an opportunity to celebrate this history through a piece of public art, potentially within the proposed publicly accessible green space,” the council report adds.

Officials state the site is in “an area of high accessibility for public transport” and residents “would not be eligible for a resident parking permit” under the proposed parking controls in Battlefield.

The report adds: “This application is seeking permission for ten additional flatted units within the same application site albeit in a revised and much improved detailed design of the residential buildings.

“The addition of ten flats to an already permitted level of 36 flats will not be detrimental to the access and operation of local amenities and resources, such as schools.”

The objection from the Battlefield Rest stated there is not “sufficient parking” included in the ongoing development, by Sanctuary, at the Old Victoria site.

“This has led to Grange Road, including the bus stops, to be full of residents’ vehicles. This is affecting our business already as customers aren’t able to get parked, they express difficulty crossing the roads due to increased traffic and our delivery drivers are experiencing great difficulty with servicing our restaurant.”

Another objector added: “New flats are going to create… unmanageable overcrowding for the hospital, residents and visiting public for the shops and amenities in the area.”

One resident said: “Battlefield is a characterful place that is losing its character. Architecturally, these buildings are bland, boring and will further homogenise an area of historical significance.”