Possilpark Vogue Cinema facing demolition 'building preservation notice' by council

An historic city cinema which was earmarked for demolition has been granted a stay of execution after Glasgow City Council stepped in.

Developers had been granted permission to knock down the former Vogue Cinema on Balmore Road in Possilpark, with works underway.

That meant that despite Historic Environment Scotland (HES) accepting the building was of “special architectural or historic interest” it could not be protected.

But now, a Building Preservation Notice (BPN) has been granted, effectively listing and protecting the James McKissack masterpiece for the next six months.

A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland said: “We published a report on this building on Friday 12 January. The report concluded that the building meets the criteria for listing, but that we would not list the building given the development context.

“Glasgow City Council has asked us to consider the listing of the building afresh in the context of a building preservation notice, and we are now progressing that case.

Works are already underway at the Balmore Road site

“A building preservation notice is akin to a temporary listing, and we are now required to decide whether it should be formally listed within six months.

“If we are proposing a listing we will carry out a consultation before making a decision.”

The move comes just weeks after HES described the building as a “notable example of the work of architect James McKissack, a foremost Scottish cinema designer” and that it considered the building to be of category C importance.

Despite this, STV News understands they were unable to list the cinema because of the advanced stage of development proposals.

Campaigners had sought to protect the building, which originally seated more than 1,600 people, with Labour MSP Paul Sweeney among those fighting to preserve the site.,

HES will now have six months to complete any review and relevant consultation.