Tourists in Glasgow could spend a penny to stay the night in a revamped block of public toilets in unusual proposals to stop the building going to waste.
Plans to convert the Cathedral Square toilets, near the city’s Necropolis, into short-stay accommodation have been submitted to Glasgow City Council.
Developers Glasgow Boys Corporation had already been given permission to turn the building into a cafe, but say they now want to provide “short-term rental, self-catering tourism accommodation,” citing a “change in business model and a revision of the local market” as factors in their decision.
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However, it is likely any visitors looking to stay in the block will have to be flush with cash, according to a planning document branding it “distinctive and highly individual”.
The report states: “The former public convenience on Cathedral Square has been leased from Glasgow City Council on a 25-year lease.”
“It is proposed that it could be converted into a distinctive and highly individual short-term holiday let that would easily fit into the applicant’s network of sites that are being developed across the country.”
The company said they plan to advertise the accommodation as a “unique location” within close walking distance of the city centre and all major transport hubs.
The standard residency restriction, for one person or group, is 90 days but the applicant would be willing to accept additional restrictions such as “limiting the duration of any letting to 14 days”.
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“Glasgow does not have the same housing pressures currently as say Amsterdam or Dublin which have introduced bans on short term letting of existing housing stock but we feel that re-energising existing built heritage, unsuitable for permanent housing, that has been overlooked presents multiple benefits,” the report adds.
“Bringing the building back into use is an obvious benefit however finding the right business model for it has been challenging.
“We feel that the proposal will be a unique asset to Glasgow and will greatly add to the experience for all those visitors using this facility.”
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