PLANS for 59 flats at Finnieston in Glasgow have been approved, following an appeal to the Scottish Government.

The brownfield site on which the flats will be built, at 131 Minerva Street, currently comprises a vacant office building and car park.

The eight-storey development by Nevis Properties, part of Kelvin Properties, will include one, two and three-bedroom apartments, a large residents’ roof terrace, a children’s play area, secure parking, and electric vehicle charging units.

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Nevis Properties noted it had submitted its proposal, designed by architecture studio Haus Collective, to Glasgow City Council in October 2021.

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The developer said that, one year on from the submission, the council had provided “no planning determination”, prompting built environment consultancy Iceni to launch an appeal on its behalf, “which then went to the Scottish Government to determine”. The project was approved by the Scottish Government Reporter earlier this week, Nevis Properties noted.

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Andrew Duncan, land director at Nevis Properties, said: “This is exactly the type of development that we believe is perfect for Glasgow – it will bring much-needed high quality homes on to a brownfield site helping to bring people back into the city, and promoting the use of more sustainable transport.”

He added: “It’s unfortunate that the delivery of new homes on the site has been delayed due to the need to go through an appeal process. We’re very glad that the Scottish Government profoundly agreed with the merits of our proposal, recognising the many benefits of this development for the people of Glasgow.

“We hope to work productively and collaboratively with Glasgow City Council in future to avoid the need for such appeals. We believe as a business we are well placed to help unlock the development potential from other brownfield sites within the city and in-doing so help Glasgow meet its housing objectives.”