By CAROLINE WILSON
STUDENTS will be asked for their views about the number of developments targeting at them at a mass meeting being held in Glasgow city centre.
SNP MSP Sandra White has organised a meeting at Strathclyde University at the end of the month after raising concerns that Glasgow is being “swamped” by student development.
She believes the council should be prioritising residential accommodation and social housing and has invited major developers to attend.
She said: Having received numerous representations from groups and individuals within Kelvin regarding student accommodation I felt it was only right and proper to arrange a public meeting in order to raise these concerns in a public forum.
“Being well aware of the many benefits students bring to our community this only heightens my very real concerns regarding these types of developments.
“They appear to be solely constructed for profit and certainly not in the interest of our student population, with monthly rents easily outstripping even private lets in the West End and City Centre.
“This highlights further the severe lack of social housing throughout my constituency and with a great deal of student accommodation already constructed I would ask that social housing takes more of a priority when approving the sale of land or sites requiring redevelopment.”
Glasgow City Council say students form 13% of the city’s population, make a “great contribution” to the city’s economy and that rising numbers of developments reflect their growing numbers.
Among the latest planned, is a development of 100 studio apartments on the site of a former playground at Kelvinhaugh Primary in Gilbert Street, by Ryder Architects.
Plans have also been lodged by Candleriggs Ltd for 586 student rooms in the Trongate area, in one of the city’s biggest ever housing developments.
The public meeting is being held on January 30 from 6.30pm to 8pm in the Debates Chamber of Strathclyde University Students Union at 90 John Street.
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