Permission has been granted for a facade retention scheme at the B-listed building from 137-143 Trongate, which is set to be extended upwards, while 151 Trongate, also B-listed, will be retained and adapted.

A smaller building at 145-149 Trongate can be knocked down under the plan. The whole site is currently for sale and is being billed as a “prime” purpose-built student accommodation location in Glasgow city centre.

At ground level, where there are currently shops, including Bo Peep’s Clothing and Savers, the plan includes “the main entrance to the student reception, a student hub and a commercial opportunity”. The upper floors are empty.

Applications for planning permission, listed building and conservation area consent were submitted on behalf of Bristol-based property development company Deeley Freed in 2024. There have previously been three successful applications to develop the site, with the most recent, in 2015, for 69 serviced apartments, but none progressed.

Initially, the 2024 application had requested permission to create 101 residential units for students. It claimed the plans “sensitively combine retention, re-use and strategic demolition of the existing buildings to unlock the potential”.

After talks with council planners, the application was amended, reducing the number of studios to 98 across nine storeys.