THE birthplace of the Boys' Brigade, the world's first uniformed youth movement, is to be transformed into town houses.

THE birthplace of the Boys' Brigade, the world's first uniformed youth movement, is to be transformed into town houses.

The Woodside Halls in Glasgow's West End, where Sir William Alexander Smith founded the movement 125 years ago, will be converted into three luxury properties if planning permission is granted, as expected, today.

The mid-19th century building was originally the Free Church Mission Hall but has not been in church use since 1975. The Boys' Brigade, which has a global membership of 500,000, had stopped using the facility earlier.

In more recent years it has been a well-known music venue known as The Woodside Social.

But noise complaints from neighbours led to its opening hours being curbed and an unsuccessful bid by the owners to turn the halls into a needle exchange for drug users.

The Gothic-design hall is also used as office space.

Although the structure of the building remains intact, the only remaining connection with the Boys' Brigade is a commemorative plaque which, according to the secretary of the historic Glasgow Battalion, Eric Woodburn, still attracts visitors from across the world.

The plan is to convert the B-listed building in North Woodside Road into three three-storey town houses which, according to the report before Glasgow City Council today, "will contribute to the improvement of the Glasgow West Conservation Area".

The plans have generated some opposition from Green councillors and heritage group the Friends of Glasgow West, which fears the "extent and quality of the alterations to this building are inappropriate for its historical importance and do little to respect or acknowledge the integrity of the original design".

Other neighbours have raised the issue of roosting bats although the council insists these are from neighbouring properties.

Mr Woodburn said he would prefer the building was used rather than be allowed to fall into disrepair. He said: "The building served its purpose for its time but times change, as do the needs of the organisations using them."