Glasgow councillors reject plan to keep homeless shelter open
Glasgow City Council has turned down a planning application to keep a homeless shelter open, moving it closer to closure despite high rough sleeping figures.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Glasgow City Council has rejected a planning application that would have allowed a homeless shelter to remain open, effectively sealing its closure. The decision follows a protest last week in which a group of demonstrators stormed council offices over proposals to scrap the service.
The shelter, run by Homeless Project Scotland, has become a lifeline for many rough sleepers in a city with the highest rate of rough sleeping in Scotland. Councillors cited reports of crime and antisocial behaviour as reasons for the rejection. But those who use the shelter argue that shutting it would only make problems worse. One resident, who had slept there the previous night, said: "There wasn't at this place there would be more fighting in the street of me and antisocial behaviour that it would be worse. Because we'd be all fighting for food."
Fresh figures shared with the broadcaster show nearly 800 people slept rough in Glasgow between January and August this year. More than 9,000 homeless people are living in temporary accommodation such as hostels and B&Bs, including over 3,000 children. Since the start of April, almost 1,500 homeless people have been refused temporary accommodation.
The council declined to comment on the planning decision, saying it was limited in what it could say. The shelter now has a three-month window to appeal to the Scottish government, and any enforcement action to close it would be delayed until that process concludes. Colin, who set up the shelter, said no decision had been made on whether to appeal. He added that the council had offered alternative premises in 2022, but described the site as "an absolute, horrible, dark, dingy, rat-infested, disgusting place". "Our homeless deserve better than that," he said.
Those calling for the shelter to close argue it is not in a suitable location. But those who depend on it ask where they will go if the doors shut for good.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 |
|---|---|
| Councillors rejected a planning application that would keep the homeless shelter open. | |
| Crime and antisocial behaviour reports were among the reasons given for the rejection. | |
| Nearly 800 people slept rough in Glasgow between January and August this year. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel focused on the human cost of the decision, giving voice to shelter users and the founder, while also presenting stark statistics on homelessness in Glasgow. The tone was sympathetic to the shelter's cause, highlighting the contrast between the council's reasons and the reality on the street.
- “There wasn't at this place there would be more fighting in the street of me and antisocial behaviour that it would be worse.”
- “Glasgow City Council offered us one premises in 2022, and it was an absolute, horrible, dark, dingy, rat-infested, disgusting place in this city.”
- “Don't push your homeless people to rat-infested, skull-duggery places.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.