Fate of historic ‘Vicky’ hospital reaches D-Day
THE fate of the historic former Victoria Infirmary site is set to be decided next month.
Proposals to build 413 flats, offices and retail spaces on the plot will go in front of Glasgow City Council’s planning committee in April.
If approved, the project, being run by Sanctuary Homes, will also see the iconic Nightingale Pavilions, the grade B-listed former administration block and the Gatehouse building all retained.
But the Victoria Forum – a body representing the area’s community councils – warned the amount of new households could affect residents’ quality of life.
Evelyn Silber, the group’s chairwoman, said: “There are 101 flats on Mansionhouse Road, there’s also the Scottish Power site.
“There are a number of other developments that will add more than 800 households to the area. The place is already congested and that’s a real issue for people who want to see quality of life improve, not deteriorate.”
Sanctuary Homes submitted its plans in October last year but was asked to present a separate masterplan at a meeting of the Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm City Policy Committee this week following an appeal by the Forum.
In the plans, there are 76 one-bedroom flats, with 274 two-bedroom units, 51 with three bedrooms and 12 four-bedroom homes.
Sanctuary have set aside provision for 135 of those flats to be affordable housing units.
The community councils had called for houses to be built alongside the flats as well as new pedestrian crossings, a children’s play area and a social space for residents.
But in the masterplan, Gillian Lavety, Sanctuary’s head of development, insisted that the site “does not lend itself to housing”.
She claimed the introduction of new retail and commercial facilities would “compliment, not prejudice the area’s existing retail businesses”. Ms Lavety also said Sanctuary would be willing to make a contribution towards a new children’s play area by Langside Library.