Beech Grove Homes and Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association, both part of Sanctuary Group, have submitted a pre-application notice to Glasgow City Council, signalling its intention to bring forward a revised planning application for the final phase of its flagship masterplan development at The Victoria, located in Glasgow’s iconic Southside.
The change of use is proposed with the vision to bring about much-needed additional new homes to the city whilst it is still in the midst of a housing crisis.
The ambitious Victoria masterplan features a diverse mix of homes, including social rent, affordable housing, mid-market rent, New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE) properties, and private sale homes. With phase 1 now complete and phase 2 well underway, the project continues to make significant progress in delivering a thriving, high-quality, mixed-tenure community.
As part of the pre-application notice, Sanctuary is proposing a change of use for the Category B-listed Administration Building, further enhancing the reimagining of the historic site. This sits alongside the refurbishment of the three landmark Nightingale buildings, which remain the architectural centrepiece of the development.
Originally approved in 2019 for commercial office use, the Administration Building’s revised plans now reflect changing needs following the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing housing emergency in Glasgow. The updated proposals could see the building converted into up to 16 high-quality apartments, making more effective use of the historic structure while responding to pressing local housing demand.
In addition, the forthcoming application could also include a new-build block of apartments, with associated landscaping and parking. This has the potential to significantly increase the proportion of social and affordable homes within the development, further contributing to efforts to address the city’s housing needs.
A Sanctuary Group spokesperson said:
“Our landmark development at The Victoria continues to make excellent progress, and it’s vital that phase 3 reflects the evolving needs of the city while continuing to protect and enhance the beautiful Category B-listed Administration Building.
“From the outset, our vision for The Victoria has been to celebrate and preserve what people cherish most about this historic site, while creating a place that meets the housing needs of modern Glasgow.
“Through the careful restoration of both the Nightingale buildings and the Administration Building, we’re helping to retain and reimagine an important part of the Southside’s identity and delivering much-needed homes across a range of tenures.”
Sanctuary’s planning team prepared a programme of community engagement to liaise with the local community on the proposals. Two public consultation events were held, giving residents, community groups, and other stakeholders the opportunity to view the plans, ask questions, and share feedback. Both events were well attended and provided valuable insights that will help shape the emerging proposals.
Feedback forms were available at both events, and anyone wishing to make additional comments on the content of the exhibition and related indicative proposals can still do so by visiting the website at www.thevictoria-glasgow.co.uk or by emailing alan.farningham(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)farnmac.co.uk.
A further round of community consultation is planned for the spring, giving local residents and stakeholders additional opportunities to engage with the evolving plans.
The Sanctuary Group spokesperson added: “We were pleased with the turnout at our consultation events and welcomed the thoughtful feedback from local residents and groups. Community insight will be vital as we continue to refine our plans at this early stage in the design and planning process.”
Sanctuary Scotland is part of Sanctuary, which is one of the UK’s largest social housing and care providers. Sanctuary owns and manages more than 125,000 homes and employs around 14,000 people. Sanctuary Scotland has served communities since 1996.