Vita Group’s plans for a new PBSA scheme at India Street have been given the go-ahead. Glasgow City Council approved plans for the 20 India Street site, which includes the delivery of 591 PBSA apartments.
The project, designed by Sheppard Robson, will replace the Strathclyde Regional Council office, which has been empty since 2015.
The India Street development will feature high quality, spacious, individual Vita Student studio bedrooms with integrated kitchens and en-suite shower rooms.
Amenities include social and study space, a gym, cafe style lounges with extensive glazing to activate the street edge, and an on-site operations team delivering regular events, housekeeping and security. A block of around 20 affordable housing units, with private gardens, also forms part of the scheme.
A revamped and extended public realm along India street will provide open amenity space for both residents and the general public. Additionally, an enclosed secure courtyard will offer residents a private external amenity space alongside two landscaped roof terraces.
The current 1.28 acre plot of land is deemed brownfield land but has excellent locality to both culture and shopping amenities. Ideally located for students, the India Street development is a short walk from the bustling student areas of Sauchiehall Street and Bath Street.
These prominent areas of Glasgow are home to many of the city’s shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs. The renowned Mitchell
Library, a five minte walk from the scheme, is also proving popular with many students across the city.
The site is also strategically positioned on India Street/Elmbank Crescent – and is adjacent to Charing Cross railway station. Glasgow School of Art is a 12 minute walk from the site.
Future residents will also have easy access to the University of Glasgow via the frequent bus services departing from Bath Street. The train linking Charing Cross to Queen Street also offers quick access to the University of Strathclyde – within eight minutes.
It is estimated that the redevelopment of the India Street site could help to create 225 new jobs during the construction phase, with an additional 20 jobs once the PBSA scheme is operational, with an estimated £29m invested into the city.
Plans were first lodged in April to build accommodation that would tackle Glasgow’s housing crisis and help to alleviate some of those pressures, with much-needed PBSA as well as more affordable homes.
The wider project team includes Landscape Architect – Oobe; Planning Consultant – Iceni Projects; Structural and Civil Engineer – Woolgar Hunter; MEP Engineer – Henderson Warnock; Fire Engineer – Jensen Hughes; Acoustician – Bureau Veritas; Cost Management – Gleeds; BREEAM – DSSR; and Principal Designer – Devon Management.
Over the last decade, demand to study at Glasgow’s leading universities has grown by 27,000 over the last decade and as a result, Glasgow has an undersupply of student accommodation with only 19,279 PBSA beds which creates a shortfall of 58,346 beds. It means 75% of full-time students are unable to access accommodation.
