SuppliedA 120-year-old tea room in Glasgow has said it is “disturbed” after a vape shop moved in next door.
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society has claimed there is an “increased risk of fire” to the 1903 category A-listed building after the new premises opened up.
Its owners referred to the Union Street blaze in March, which was believed to have started in a vape shop on the building’s ground floor.
“The city has already suffered the horrific fire at Central Station which is alleged to have started in an unlicensed vape shop, alongside the destruction of the masterpiece Mackintosh Building at Glasgow School of Art”, director of the society, Matthew Williams said.
“The Mackintosh Tearooms are an architectural and design gem, an important part of Glasgow’s story, and a real boost for tourism in the city. The increased risk of fire posed by a seemingly unlicensed vape shop next door is completely unacceptable.”
STV NewsThey have now urged Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to intervene to stop the shop from opening, saying they don’t want another “Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art fire”.
The world-renowned building, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, was extensively damaged when a blaze broke out in 2018 as it neared the end of a £35m restoration project following a previous fire in May 2014.
Chairman Michael Dale said: “The Society calls upon Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to take any and all measures necessary to halt the opening of the shop.
“In this case the landlord also needs to reconsider the lease on this retail unit. Their commercial imperative cannot take precedence over increased risk to this national treasure.”
“Regeneration of the street, still failing to recover from the tragic fires at the Mackintosh Building and ABC music venue, plus the recent closure of the CCA, is supposed to be a priority for the city.”
STV NewsGarnethill Community Council has also written to local councillors regarding the opening of the shop next to the historic tearooms, saying the plans require “careful consideration”.
A statement read: “We are supporting concerns raised publicly by street artist Ashley Rawson about the proposal, particularly given the importance of protecting Glasgow’s remaining architectural heritage.
“Glasgow has already lost Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art to fire, and more recently another significant heritage building was severely damaged by a fire which reportedly started in a vape shop.
“While the risk of fire may be considered small, recent events demonstrate that it is real. We believe the proximity of a vape shop to such an important heritage asset warrants careful consideration.
“We have asked councillors to consider what measures could be taken to protect the Mackintosh Tearooms and Glasgow’s wider architectural heritage.”
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