Basement window bars on a rented West End Glasgow flat have sparked fears over whether a tenant could escape during a fire.
A politician and community council objected to an application for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence for a three bedroom property at 118 Park Road, Hillhead.
Applicant representative John Perdikou argued the window could open and the bars were an “illusion to deter burglars.”
Councillors called for photographic evidence showing the window was not barred shut at a licensing and regulatory committee meeting this week.
Objecting to the granting of a licence, SNP Hillhead Councillor Ken Andrew said: “The issue of this property has been raised a number of times from neighbours who have concerns regarding one room.”
He said: “There is only one very small window in the room at a high level and we are concerned regarding safety. Not many years ago not half a mile from Park Road two young men died in Melrose Street because they could not egress from their basement level flat because the windows were barred.”
Woodlands & Park Community Council also objected on the same grounds.
Mr Perdikou said: “The window is fully opening. The bars are really an illusion to deter burglars. They are not fixed in anyway to the frame. They are part of the mechanism of the window.”
Labour Councillor Gary Gray called for photographs inside and out showing the mechanism of the window to give comfort to people with fears.
The meeting heard Scottish Fire & Rescue did not have concerns and there was a fire exit a couple of yard away.
Mr Perdikou said: “The area between the door to the room and the fire door is an escape area which is the case in many HMOs.”
He added: “If this flat had been higher up in the building say the first, second or third floor there is no way a tenant would be going out a window in the event of a fire. They would use the normal fire route.”
Blasting the comment as “unhelpful,” SNP Councillor Rhiannon Spear said: “The reason we are asking the question is because we lost two lives in Glasgow because a landlord was not taking responsibility of their property to provide safe access. It is our job as members of this committee to make sure this property is safe. It is a basement level flat - it has bars on the windows. We are entitled to ask these questions for the safety of the people living in the flat.”
The committee granted the three year HMO licence to the applicant - which is named as the Trustees of the Estate of the late Harry J Charalambous.
It was granted subject to conditions.
