PLANS to transform an eyesore office block in George Square, Glasgow, have been rejected after the design was branded an "aesthetic disaster".

PLANS to transform an eyesore office block in George Square, Glasgow, have been rejected after the design was branded an "aesthetic disaster".

A £65million overhaul for George House would have included a terraced restaurant and convention facilities for the building, which is currently home to accountancy firm Ernst & Young.

It would also have created 27,000 sq m of office space.

However, the glass-fronted design put forward by Edinburgh firm Reiach and Hall was rejected by an 8-6 vote of councillors, despite being recommended for approval by planning officers.

The committee said the design was not sympathetic to the surrounding listed buildings, with one councillor commenting it resembled a failed 1970s building.

Neil Gillespie, director of Reiach and Hall, is currently Architect of the Year and designed the award-winning Beatson Institute for Cancer Research at the Gartnavel Hospital with fellow director Lyle Christie.

Redevco, the owner of George House, has been working with Glasgow City Council and Historic Scotland on design concepts for the building.

Councillor Paul Coleshill, who sits on the council's planning committee, said: "George Square is a conservation area and to put something there it needs to enhance or preserve the area.

"I would have no problem with an innovative, bold and modern building going in there, but in my opinion this was not one of them. It is neither ambitious nor a good pastiche of the past.

"It is an aesthetic disaster. In my opinion it looks like a failed 1970s building. The building that is there is better than the current design.

"We don't want something that looks exactly like the City Chambers, but this is a very sensitive site."

Mr Gillespie said: "We are obviously very disappointed and it is disappointing for Glasgow.

"We have worked very closely with the council's planning department and the design has not been taken lightly.

"We need to establish if this was a personal opinion or whether it is held by a number of people."

Built in 1979, George House - a box-like structure occupying half of the northern face of the Square - is widely accepted as poor quality architecture, in sharp contrast to most of the surrounding listed buildings.

It was bought by Redevco in 2003 for £18million.

David Smith, portfollio director for Redevco said: "We are obviously very disappointed.

"All that is left is for us to review our options and see where we can go from here and try to understand why the decision went the way it did after the plans were recommended for approval by planning officers."

A council spokeswoman said: "Planning permission was refused after the committee voted against the proposals."