FORMER newspaper offices on Renfield Street are set to be turned into a temporary job centre by the UK Government.

Glasgow City Council has granted permission for the building – which was home to the Glasgow Times until last year – to be converted.

The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed the city is being considered for a new centre but would not provide further information for “commercial reasons”.

With unemployment predicted to continue rising due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government is taking on 13,500 new work coaches.

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Some of the staff will be housed in 80 temporary job centres across the UK.

In 2018, the department shut six job centres in the city – Anniesland, Bridgeton, Easterhouse, Langside, Maryhill and Parkhead – despite strong opposition in Glasgow.

A DWP spokeswoman said: “A new temporary job centre is being considered for Glasgow, but for commercial reasons, we are unable to provide any further information at this stage.

“However, once leases are signed on temporary premises, we will update the list and details will be published on gov.uk.”

The application, from Instant Managed Offices Ltd and the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Robert Jenrick, states the centre is needed due to “the current global pandemic and the impact this has had on the UK’s economy”.

Three centres have been confirmed in Scotland: Aberdeen, Ayr and Falkirk.

The site at 200 Renfield Street would be an appointment-only facility and staffed by work coaches and security staff.

The government believes getting Britain “back to work as quickly as possible is vital, as the UK strives to build back an even stronger and more resilient economy”.

Work coaches “will be at the forefront of this recovery”, the application added.