Calls for 'urgent repairs notice' to fix former Glasgow hospice after fire

There are calls for Glasgow City Council to put an urgent repairs notice on the former Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow after it went up in flames yesterday.

Crews were alerted to the fire in the three-storey building in Carlton Place just after 8pm on Monday night.

READ MORE: Fire crews spend all night tackling blaze at former Glasgow hospice

Firefighters were battling into the early hours of the morning to put out a blaze at the derelict property.

Nine appliances in total, including two high-reach vehicles, were sent to the address to extinguish the blaze.

The category-B listed tenement lost a substantial part of its roof, in the second fire in eight months.

The building has been empty since 2018, after the hospice moved to a new home in Bellahouston Park.

Plea for urgent repairs notice

Now, politicians are urging the local authority to utilise the law to place an urgent repairs notice on the site.

MSP Paul Sweeney said: "It's absolutely infuriating that we've seen another fire in the space of eight months at the B-listed Carton Place Terrace, one of Glasgow's showcase Georgian terraces right on the waterfront at the Broomielaw on Clydeside, facing some of Glasgow's top hotels.

"It should be one of the most desirable locations in the city, yet we've seen it allowed to fall into neglect since the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice moved out around seven years ago.

"Whilst the private owners, MMLL Developments Limited, have indicated they're looking to convert it into serviced apartments and have planning permission to do so, they've stalled on this scheme for over a year now. We haven't seen any action on it.

"It's been a hotbed for anti-social behaviour. We've seen a cannabis factory in the basement. We've seen it used as a squat. We've seen all sorts of anti-social behaviour associated with the building for months now, complaints from residents and local businesses.

"The council has been in dialogue with the owners about it. But we now need to see enforcement action taken under the Listed Buildings Act of 1997 to put an urgent repairs notice on the building and indeed a listed buildings repairs notice, which can lead to a compulsory purchase order if necessary."

'We need urgent action'

He added: "We could be looking to put together an alternative development plan for the building if the current owners aren't capable or willing to do something about it.

"That can involve using a compulsory purchase order to flip the building to another developer, such as a local housing association, to take it on and develop it into housing.

"We cannot afford to lose such a prized asset for the city. Those two magnificent terraces on the south bank of the Clyde are part of Glasgow's original Georgian new town.

"They're part of the conservation area in the centre of the city. We need urgent action taken now and I'll be engaging with Glasgow City Council to do so as quickly as we can."

Up to the owner

In a statement Glasgow City Council' said: "This is a privately-owned building, and the responsibility for its maintenance and security lies with the owner.

"As it stands, the site is under the control of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, and officers from the council’s Building Standards team are in contact with them.

"Once the SFRS hand over the building, the team can then assess the building and speak to the owners about the next course of action."

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