Greens call for moratorium on purpose-built student accommodation in Glasgow
The Scottish Greens are calling for a temporary suspension of new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in Glasgow.
Green MSP Iris Duane is calling for a moratorium after a briefing note by Glasgow City Council identified 21,655 operational student beds across the city.
It also revealed that there are a further 18,213 beds in the development pipeline, which would potentially take the total provision to 40,000 bed spaces.
Communities have also called for a moratorium on PBSA’s and urged politicians to halt approvals, pointing to a widening gap between levels of demand and the number of developments.
Scottish Green MSP Iris Duane:
“Until the new city development plan is in place, we must halt the continual overdevelopment of PBSAs across Glasgow.
“A lot has changed since 2017, the lack of joined-up thinking towards where we build PBSAs and who they are for is tearing apart local communities.
“We need to assess where PBSAs are being built and how that will impact local residents and businesses. Too often transnational corporations, who have never walked our streets, are plonking them down with little regard for those who already live there.
“Housing is meant to be for people, not absurd profits whilst regular families are struggling to get a good home.
“International student numbers are continuing to fall. It is hard to see the justification for continuing to build more and more PBSAs when existing ones are not at capacity.
“When speaking to students, they often feel as though their PBSAs were not good value for money, proving that the only people benefiting here are those who are profiting.
“I will question Ministers in charge of this area at the first opportunity and ensure that we are looking at the bigger picture and support residents to live in good, collegiate communities together.”
Iris added:
“Whilst student numbers continue to fall, we cannot end up in a position where we have empty PBSAs across the city in the middle of a housing crisis.”