Key Points

• Glasgow City Council has warned that false claims are being spread on social media to try to trigger a protest this weekend.
• The disputed posts say Allander Court care home in Possilpark is being turned into accommodation for asylum seekers; the council says this is untrue.
• The planning application for Allander Court concerns additional bedrooms, an improved entrance lobby and extra car parking, with no change of use from care home.
• Residents were encouraged online to gather at the site for a protest on Saturday; the council has urged people not to share or act on false information.
• The Hawthorn Housing Cooperative, which operates in the area, confirmed the owner’s intention is to continue using the building as a care home for older people.
• The council has emphasised that spreading misinformation online or offline is unacceptable and can damage communities, and asked people to rely on reputable sources.

Glasgow Council (Glasgow Express) July 10, 2026 – Glasgow City Council has launched a public warning that lies are being circulated on social media in an attempt to whip up a protest in Possilpark this weekend, after posts claimed a local care home would be converted into accommodation for asylum seekers.

Why is Glasgow City Council saying false claims are being used to promote protests?

As reported by the producer of the Planet Radio Clyde local news bulletin, the council says the false posts are being used to encourage residents to gather at Allander Court care home for a protest on Saturday.

The council has stated that these claims are “absolutely not true” and that they are working to counter misinformation that could cause fear and alarm in the community.

What do the online posts claim about Allander Court care home?

According to Glasgow Live Scotland, a social media post which gained around 1,500 likes and more than 400 shares stated that Allander Court care home in Possilpark had been refurbished “for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants” and invited people to protest at the site on Saturday.

The post framed the development as a change of use from care home to asylum accommodation, which the council has directly contradicted.

What does the actual planning application for Allander Court say?

Glasgow Live Scotland reports that the planning application lodged for Allander Court is for additional bedrooms, an improved entrance lobby and extra car parking spaces, with no change of use.

Information submitted as part of the plan states that the objective is to increase capacity within an existing operational care home while upgrading the quality of accommodation and bringing the facility into closer alignment with contemporary care standards and care inspectorate expectations.

How have local organisations responded to the false claims?

The Hawthorn Housing Cooperative, which operates in the Possilpark area, has confirmed that it is in touch with the owner of Allander Court, who stated that the intention is to use the building as a care home for older people.

The co-operative said it would look at the planning application to ensure the proposed use does not cause concerns, but noted it would be positive to see the building return to its previous use and resolve problems that have arisen since it was vacant.

What has Glasgow City Council said about the impact of misinformation?

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said that spreading misinformation on and offline is unacceptable and can cause damage to Glasgow’s communities.

The council repeated that the claims made online are false and urged the public not to spread false information, continuing to rely on reputable sources for information and updates.

Have there been similar misinformation incidents in Glasgow recently?

This is not the first time Glasgow City Council has warned about disinformation being used to incite fear in local communities.

In November 2025, council Chief Executive Susanne Millar responded to media reports and social media speculation about a school being targeted by right-wing social media agitators, who spread false claims about who was attending classes and about a supposed loophole in the Scottish Protecting Vulnerable Groups system. The council stated that these falsehoods had convinced some parents and caused fear and alarm.

In August 2024, council leader Susan Aitken also addressed concerns about social media activity linked to Tommy Robinson and associates, noting that Glasgow City Council had not received notice of any rally but warning that such figures disregard laws and public spaces.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar at that time called for a clampdown on social media activity that he said was ramping up hatred and spreading misinformation following the Southport tragedy.

In late 2025, council sources described claims that strangers and vigilante groups were entering schools to “keep children safe” as misguided and toxic, and said the council would not tolerate such groups coming into schools with a hidden agenda to incite fear and alarm by spreading misinformation and inciting violence. Police Scotland has also warned Glasgow residents about speculation circulating on social media about protests in George Square, stating there was no intelligence to suggest any protest was planned and urging people to avoid sharing inaccurate information.

What steps are being taken to counter the false narrative?

Glasgow City Council has publicly stated that the claims about Allander Court being turned into asylum accommodation are “absolutely not true” and has asked people to rely on reputable sources rather than social media posts.

The council has also emphasised that spreading misinformation, whether online or offline, is unacceptable and can damage communities, framing the issue as one of public responsibility as much as of official fact-checking.

Local housing organisations such as the Hawthorn Housing Cooperative are also engaging with the owner to clarify the intended use of the building and to monitor the planning application.

While the co-operative has not given a final position on the proposal, it has indicated that returning the building to use as a care home for older people would be welcome, and that it would assess whether the proposed changes raise any concerns.

Background: How this development fits into wider patterns of misinformation and protest in Glasgow

This incident reflects a recurring pattern in Glasgow of social media actors using false or exaggerated claims about housing, immigration and public services to stir local anger and encourage protests.

Over the past two years, the council and police have repeatedly warned about disinformation campaigns targeting schools, community facilities and public spaces, often tied to broader national debates about immigration and asylum accommodation.

In each case, the council has stressed that the facts do not support the claims being circulated, and that such misinformation can cause real harm by creating fear among residents, straining community relations and putting pressure on local services and staff.

The current dispute over Allander Court follows the same template: a planning application for a care home improvement is reframed online as a controversial change of use, then used as a rallying point for a protest, despite official confirmation that no such change is proposed.

Prediction: How this development could affect Glasgow residents and the wider community

If the council’s warnings and local organisations’ clarifications are effective, the planned protest may fail to attract significant numbers, limiting immediate disruption in Possilpark and reducing the risk of tensions spilling into confrontations with residents or workers at the site.

However, if the false claims continue to circulate without strong counter-messaging, they could still mobilise a smaller but vocal group, leading to localised protests, increased anxiety among neighbours and further strain on community relations, particularly in areas already sensitive to discussions about asylum and housing.

More broadly, repeated incidents of this type could deepen mistrust between parts of the community and the council, making it harder for officials to communicate accurately about future planning applications or housing changes.

For residents, the main risk is not necessarily the protest itself but the longer-term effect of living in an environment where misinformation is routinely used to frame everyday developments as threats, which can erode confidence in local institutions and make it more difficult to address genuine concerns about services, housing and community safety in a constructive way.