COUNCIL chiefs have rubber-stamped plans to tear down the former headquarters of Strathclyde Police.

Pitt Street Police Station will be the site of a new housing and commercial development Holland Park.

The site dominated the west of Scotland’s policing operation and even featured in programmes like Taggart.

In 2015, more than 1,000 staff transferred to the new French Street HQ after Police Scotland was formed.

Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convenor for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm at Glasgow City Council, said: “This site at Pitt Street has long played a key role in the life of the city, being home to Strathclyde Police and Police Scotland for many decades, and now set to bring new apartments and services to a changing city centre.

“We welcome developments such as this which will play a part in meeting the demands of the housing market as more people look to live in the city centre over the coming years.”

Strathclyde Police moved into the office in 1975 when the force was created.

It is made up of a 1934-built Glasgow and West of Scotland Commercial College and a glass and concrete extension.

The college had vacated the building after merging with the Royal College of Science and Technology to form the University of Strathclyde in 1964.

The other half of the site is the 1984-built post-modern extension.

A spokesman from the Glasgow Police Museum said it would not be a loss architecturally but emphasised there would be a lot of interesting memories from officers and staff based there.

“It’s a building and and an HQ, though it wasn’t  like there were cells in it, merely offices and a force control room located there for a time,” he added.

Plans will see the site transformed into a modern residential development complete with gardens and a square.

A consultation was carried out last March, which included two events where around 80 consultees attended.

Developers say the project was “well received and welcomed by those who attended”.

The statement added: “Our proposals for the subject site are for the creation of a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 433 Private Rented Sector (PRS) residential apartments with ancillary facilities and associated landscaping and public realm.

“These facilities include internal and external resident amenity spaces, basement car parking and servicing, together with street fronting commercial uses.”