PLANS to develop two major gap sites in Glasgow's Merchant City have been given the green light.

The move is the last part of a multi-million pound scheme which will result in almost 1,200 private flats and student rooms, a hotel and new retail opportunities.

Candleriggs Ltd had already been granted planning permission for an area of land which has been left largely derelict since the closure of Goldberg's department store in 1990.

It will be transformed into 132 high quality apartments for sale, 372 new apartments for private rent, a 124 bedroom hotel, 582 rooms for student accommodation and retail space.

Candleriggs Ltd, which is represented by corporate property management group JLL, has since bought two additional parcels of land allowing a continuous frontage to be created along both Trongate and Candleriggs.

The additional sites will allow an extra 63 private rented homes to be built, as well as four student rooms and extra ground floor shopping.

Glasgow City Council planners have now approved plans for the two gap sites meaning planning permission is in place for the entire site.

Candleriggs Quarter will cover almost an entire street block bounded by Hutcheson Street, Trongate, Canderiggs and Wilson Street.

And it will result in one of the biggest city centre developments since Buchanan Galleries was built in the 1990s.

The developer said the scheme will re-energise an important part of the Merchant City and bring new vitality to Argyle Street.

A design statement which was submitted to planners said: "This strategy makes a series of public places whilst generally responding to the grain of the surrounding urban form.

"Throughout the public edges of the scheme the intention is to place shops, bars and cafes at street level to give a real possibility of street life and activity throughout the site.

"At the corner of Candleriggs and Trongate a new convenience store is intended and it is hoped this large branded store will help draw High Street retailers from Argyll Street onto this part of Trongate."

A council spokesman said the ambitious project will deliver a massive boost to the city's economy.