A MASSIVE housing development on the old home of Glasgow�s meat market is a step closer.

A MASSIVE housing development on the old home of Glasgow's meat market is a step closer.

Councillors have agreed to sell the former abattoir site in Bellgrove Street in the East End to a city developer for more than £30million.

Dawn Group, which has a 50% stake in Ayr racecourse, wants to build 385 homes and a major new public square on the 51 acre site.

The Glasgow-based firm also plans improvements to Bellgrove station which overlooks the land.

All that remains on the site are some B listed former market sheds after the building was bulldozed two years ago when it was badly damaged in a fire.

The Calton abattoir dates from the 1980s when the meat market in Gallowgate closed.

Councillor George Redmond said the housing plan marked the start of the wider regeneration of the East End for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

He added: "This development is going to be design led and will set the benchmark for what we will be doing in the East End.

"One of those things will be the village to be built to accommodate the Commonwealth Games athletes.

"The land at Bellgrove has been lying empty for quite a number of years and the exciting thing about this development is that it will complete the connection between the East End and the City Centre.

"It is a further statement about the confidence there is in the revival of this part of the city."

On Friday, city council development and regeneration executive director Steve Inch urged councillors to sell the land to the Dawn Group for £30m, excluding VAT.

He said in a report: "A number of options are being considered for the existing market sheds including leisure and workshops with the favoured use being retail.

"It is estimated that development of the entire site will be completed within four years."

Glasgow-based Dawn Developments is also behind a £150m scheme to transform a derelict wasteland at the junction of High Street and Duke Street.