Glasgow City Council has confirmed the sale of a former car park in Tradeston to Wheatley Homes, Scotland's largest social landlord. The agreement clears the way for the construction of 112 flats intended for mid-market rent.

The site, which encompasses a full block bounded by Wallace Street, Cook Street, Centre Street, and Tradeston Street, is located less than a mile from the city centre. Historically the site of a primary school until the 1970s, it was declared surplus by the council in 2014. The sale is expected to generate approximately £400,000 for the local authority.

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Housing and Development at Glasgow City Council, said: "There's been a lot of remarkable transformation along the south bank of the River Clyde in recent years, from the world-class housing in Laurieston and the Gorbals to the stunning Barclays campus. But we've still a lot to do to deliver on the area's huge potential. Bringing over 100 new affordable homes into Tradeston will go some way to achieving that, building on the transformational momentum and taking some pressure off the demand for housing in the city. I'm delighted that a partner with the track record of Wheatley has committed to the continuing revival of the Tradeston area with new, quality homes."

-- Advertisement --

In a separate move to address the city's housing needs, the council is piloting a new legal approach to tackle long-term vacant properties. This includes the approval of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a neglected house in Mount Vernon that has been empty since November 2024.

While the council's Empty Homes Strategy has already returned over 3,000 properties to use—typically by transferring ownership to housing associations—this new pilot targets areas with low housing association presence. Under this model, the council will acquire the property and market it as a private development opportunity, with a buyer selected specifically to restore it as a family home.

Councillor Kelly added: "Our Empty Homes Strategy has brought over 3000 properties back into use and is a great example of the creativity and flexibility of this council in finding solutions to the Housing Emergency. This pilot is about taking that further, using CPO powers to acquire vacant private housing in areas where even if there's no housing associations to rent the properties, we can still bring them back into productive use."