A-listed building Langside Halls in Glasgow step closer to reopening after £100,000 funding boost

Glasgow’s A-listed Langside Halls, which has been shut for eight years, is moving closer to reopening as it has bagged a funding boost of more than £100,000.

Councillor Holly Bruce has been campaigning for the at risk historic building to be brought back into public use for the community.

Now thanks to new developments she hopes it could reopen as soon as next year.

On Tuesday the Langside Area Partnership, which is made up of councillors and community representatives, decided to award £121,000 to the Southside hall.

Scottish Greens Councillor Bruce who chairs the Langside Area Partnership has now written to the chairs of the Pollokshields and Southside Central Area Partnerships to urge them to commit the same amount of funding – which would bring the total to £365,000.

She has also had discussions with Glasgow City Council about match funding the amount.

Councillor Bruce said: “We are moving forward. Constituents have been telling me time and time again how they want the hall reopened as a community venue. I hope the hall will reopen next autumn.”

“Fingers crossed I’m doing everything I can.”

It is understood work needed could include window replacements, roof works, internal decoration, among other refurbishment.

Welcoming the funding commitment, Shawlands & Strathbungo Community Council said: “The Community Council has been concerned for a long time about Langside Halls being unused and the consequent lack of maintenance and vandalism to an A listed building that is at the centre of our community. There have been recent incidents where fire raising has presented a major risk to the buildings future.

“The Community Council is unanimous in its support of the bid to reopen the Hall and welcomes the announcement of partial funding to support this. The Council now urges all stakeholders to work at speed to deliver the remaining funding required to get the building up and running.”

A recent Glasgow City Council meeting heard there had been an expression of interest in the hall via the People Make Glasgow programme – which enables communities to run venues.

It is understood Glasgow Life has been working with Langside Halls Trust and the local authority to bring the Shawlands building back into use.

The money committed from Langside Area Partnership comes from the neighbourhood infrastructure improvement fund.