A PLANNING bid has been lodged to demolish a former pub traditionally popular with Rangers fans to make way for new apartments in Glasgow city centre.

Property developer Big Top Productions wants to knock down the building which used to trade as Anne Millers and build 18 serviced apartments on the Ropework Lane site.

The pub, which Rangers fans would frequent on match days, has been closed for several years, with the building now in a poor state of repair.

READ MORE: Whisky bar plan for landmark Glasgow building

Big Top, which is also behind plans to create a whisky bar and 25 serviced apartments in the Teacher building in Glasgow’s St Enoch Square, said it will invest £3 million in the project.

Stephen Mallon of Mosaic, the Glasgow architect which submitted the plans to Glasgow City Council, said: "This is a challenging site, given the position of the existing building in Ropework Lane attached to adjacent mixed-use and leisure buildings. Although challenging, it offered the chance to be innovative and creative with the design. It was important, we felt, to give a strong definition to the edge of the city block taking cognisance of the local urban form.

“Using a simple palette of blue engineering brick, large glazed panels and lightweight bronze shingle cladding, playfully utilised in deep window reveals, the pattern, rhythm and depth of the design provide a quality piece of contemporary architecture which will have a positive impact on the townscape and wider city.”

The Herald:

Big top director Andre Graham said: “Having identified serviced apartments and hospitality as a key area for development, this is our first new-build development in the city and gives us the opportunity to develop a new and exciting brand with the team at Mosaic.

“It is hoped that, if successful, while it is a bespoke design, this development could serve as a model that could be rolled out to other cities in the UK.”