Roof to be installed at fire-damaged B-listed tenement in Glasgow

A roof is being installed at a fire damaged historic former hospice after the council threatened to serve an urgent works notice.

A blaze ripped through the roof of the B-listed former Prince and Princess of Wales hospice in Carlton Place last August and there were fears it would fall into further disrepair.

The council visited the site repeatedly and wrote to the owner several times stating an intention to serve a statutory notice if the roof is not reinstated.

Southside Central councillor Soryia Siddique has also been repeatedly calling for action to ensure the property is watertight and has criticised the council for not acting fast enough.

She said there has “been more than enough time” for action to have been taken on the matter and wants other historic buildings in the area to also receive attention.

A council spokesman said: “If the owner had not progressed with the installation of the roof in a timeous manner, then the planning service would have served an Urgent Works Notice through listed building legislation – however at present, the roof is being installed so there does not appear to be a need to serve such a notice.

“The planning team will continue to monitor the progress of the reinstatement of the roof and encourage the owner to undertake the overall conversion project.

“The council’s action in site visits, meeting and corresponding with the owner and their team, plus formal correspondence from the planning team has resulted in positive action by the owner to undertake the necessary works to this listed building.”

Explaining more about the situation since the fire took hold, the spokesman said: “We are very aware of the importance of Carlton Place to the city’s built heritage, and the role it will play in the regeneration of the wider area.

“Following the fire at a property there last August, the council’s building standards team dealt with the immediate danger from the fire-damaged roof as soon as the Fire Service left the building.

“This team has since been joined by planning colleagues in visiting the site on a number of occasions to check on progress of the owner’s stated intention to reinstate the roof and to advise the owner that the council intends to serve a notice in order to arrest deterioration of the fabric of the listed building, should appropriate progress not be made.

“The council’s head of planning has written to the owner several times to state the council’s intention to serve a statutory notice on the owner, should they not reinstate the roof (or cover it temporarily).

“In December 2024, the planning team took colleagues from City Property to survey the property with a view to service of a statutory notice through listed building legislation.

“Since the fire, the owner has applied for and gained Listed building consent for a replacement roof (with alterations) and thereafter has commenced works to reinstate it. After repeated requests to do so from the planning team, they have also installed 24-hours security at the site.”

Dr Siddique said: “If the SNP run Glasgow City council was serious about saving Glasgows Heritage then the owners of the listed buildings in North Laurieston would have been served urgent works notices and work would have been completed by now to save the integrity of the buildings in this area.

“Repeated fires have taken place in the area and heritage buildings have been left to the elements. There has been more than enough time for the council to take action on this matter.

“There was a cross party motion to regenerate North Laurieston, this appears to have been all talk and little action to regenerate the area and save Glasgow’s Heritage.”