Protests at Glasgow homeless shelter as council orders closure

Homelessness campaigners have staged a protest against the closure of a shelter in Glasgow city centre after the council ordered it should be shut down.

Glasgow City Council's enforcement notice gives the Homeless Project Scotland based at 67 Glassford Street up to 18 October to appeal its decision.

The volunteer-run shelter has been taking in around 35 people a night since December.

The council said it had to take action due to unauthorised change of use of the building, complaints from residents and businesses, as well as reports from police.

The project uses a building in Glassford Street in the heart of Glasgow city centre

But Colin McInnes, founder of Homeless Project Scotland, said they had little warning of any issues beforehand.

The project received a letter in January urging them to apply for planning consent to change the use of the space, he told BBC Scotland News.

It said the premises had been converted from an office to an overnight shelter for homeless people without the necessary planning permission.

Mr McInnes said he tried to contest this with the council, as they did not intend to use the space long-term, but he did not hear back.

Campaigners protested outside Glasgow City Council's HQ

The notice said there were "significant antisocial behaviour and public safety concerns" in the area since the shelter started operating.

It said there had been disturbances and a "negative impact on public safety" due to service users gathering outside the building.

But Mr McInnes called claims of antisocial behaviour "nonsense" and insisted he had not seen or heard of any service users causing problems in the local area.

"We also have weekly discussions with the local community police and they have never mentioned antisocial behaviour," he said.

"Why would the council not get back to us for months and then step in and give us notice to close just before winter?"

The night shelter is maintained by volunteers

Service users usually queue outside the space from 22:30 and Mr McInnes said everyone is in bed at midnight and they are not allowed out for cigarette breaks during the night.

He said the project would apply for consent to change the official use of the premises and appeal the notice.

The notice also said the shelter, which provides a free food service in the evening, is not “considered appropriate for the location due to the nature of the surrounding area”.

It said it was considered a "conservation area" and using the premises as a homeless shelter had a "negative impact on the character".

There are beds for around 35 people in the building

The conservation area covers most of the city centre, including Merchant City, as well as a number of streets used by the council as emergency accommodation for homeless people.

"I think the council is clutching at straws and having a kick at homeless people when they're down," Mr McInnes said.

"We accommodate people because the council can't provide accommodation for them. We've actually saved them a lot of money.

"But we will not allow 35 people a night to be tussled out onto the street."

Glasgow City Council declared a "housing emergency" amid mounting pressures on its homelessness services in November.

'Not appropriate'

A council spokesperson said Homeless Project Scotland had not submitted a planning application for change of use of the building "despite efforts to encourage them to do so".

“Therefore, there has been no opportunity to scrutinise how the building is operated to ensure that it is safe, well managed and satisfies the relevant policies," they added.

"There has also been no evidence provided to show that it complies with Care Inspectorate National Standards."

The spokesperson said there had been "multiple crime reports and complaints linked to the building" since it began to be used as unauthorised homeless shelter in December 2023.

“Based on the available evidence, fears from residents and businesses that the unauthorised use of the building is directly contributing to anti-social behaviour and crime in the area appear to be well founded.

“To protect the safety and well-being of the community and given the lack of engagement from the occupants to progress with a planning application, we believe it is necessary to take action to cease the unauthorised use of these premises."

The council said if the period of appeal up to 18 October elapsed, there would then be three months for HPS to comply with the order to cease the unauthorised use of the premises.

It said a planning application could still be submitted for assessment and consideration through the usual process.