A ROW has broken out over the demolition of a listed Glasgow building, with an MSP alleging that “misinformation” led to it being razed to the ground.
Paul Sweeney, who represents the Glasgow region at Holyrood, questioned assessments that said the entrance arch of the C-listed ABC cinema at 292–332 Sauchiehall Street could not remain standing.
Historic Environment Scotland described the arch as a “dominant full height Classical Modern entrance” built by renowned cinema architect CJ McNair in 1929. The agency said the “dramatic” arch formed part of a “striking and unusual streetscape elevation which is an important feature of one of Glasgow's principal streets”.
However, the plans were “called in” by Scottish Government ministers last week, who will now make the final decision on the development.
Sweeney said that SNP ministers should send the proposals “back to square one”, but lamented that the arch and facade had already been destroyed.
“A shipping-container stack of student flats with a food hall at the bottom of it. I think we can settle for a better deal than that for Glasgow,” he said.
Sweeney claimed that the McNair arch was “essentially a concrete pillbox”, adding: “It was structurally sound, and one of Scotland's top structural engineers advised that it was perfectly salvageable in situ.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson refuted the claim that the arch did not require demolition.
“After six years of being fully open to the elements, the deteriorating condition of the building was one which could no longer be tolerated in terms of public safety, and that is why a Dangerous Buildings Notice was served for the facade and the relevant structure behind,” they said.
“Public safety is the first and over-riding priority for our officers in such cases, who make decisions from fully informed positions.”
A spokesperson for the Vita Group said any suggestion they had an influence on the decision to demolish the arch was “entirely untrue”. The developers said they had provided “no input, advice or recommendations regarding the [demolition] notice”.
A report on the structural condition of the ABC cinema – seen by the Sunday National and prepared in 2019 by the engineering firm Narro Associates – assessed claims made in separate reports prepared for the “planning application seeking demolition of the entire site”.
The 2019 document refuted many assertions made in the earlier reports, notably about the impact which fires in 2014 and 2018 had had on the structural integrity of the building.
It concluded: “The main building framing and concrete floors behind the front section would … not deteriorate to the point of demolition being the only viable option available. We therefore do not consider full demolition of the building is necessary at this point.”
Sweeney alleged that the assessments arguing that the arch could not remain in place therefore amounted to “disinformation”.
Niall Murphy, the director of the Glasgow City Heritage Trust, said he believed the front arch could have been incorporated into the new plans for the site.
“What had been said at the consultation was it [the front arch] was just made out of plasterboard and plywood, it was just a kind of 1930s movie stage set and it was never meant to last,” he said.
“I was like, ‘I'm pretty sure that it's got two lift shafts either side of the arch – they'll be very robustly built – and it'll have concrete floor slabs in it, because that's the type of technology you'd be using at the time. Also, it's got this huge cast-iron Saracen screen in it which would also be pretty robust. I don't really think it's going anywhere’.
“It was frustrating then seeing the demolition contractors’ guys on site taking it down with jackhammers. If it was made from plasterboard and plywood, why would you be using a jackhammer?
“They were waving at me as I was taking a photograph, the guys on site were actually waving at me. If it's so unsafe, why are they up there being so cavalier? If it was genuinely unsafe, I just thought that was weird.”
He added: “The sad thing is, having taken it down, you can see straight in and you can see posters up … they've not been touched by the fire.”
Pictures taken for the Sunday National on July 17 show the posters Murphy mentioned untouched by fire, behind where the entrance arch previously stood.
Sweeney suggested public ownership of the site as a possibility, arguing it could be developed into a commercially viable, multi-use cultural venue that also incorporates elements of both student and social housing.
A spokesperson for Vita Group said: “Vita Group is committed to delivering a transformational regeneration project on [[Sauchiehall Street]], bringing approximately £70 million of investment to Glasgow city centre. Our plans for the site include much-needed student accommodation, a public food hall, a courtyard and an events space. This would deliver benefits that extend well beyond the student community and help to revitalise the wider area.
“We fully understand the sensitivities of the site and the importance of heritage considerations. Throughout the planning process, we have worked diligently to ensure that our proposals are viable, appropriate and informed by meaningful engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders.
“To be clear, any suggestion or implication that Vita Group was involved in the issuance of the Dangerous Building Notice is entirely untrue. Vita Group does not currently own the site and was not involved in the decision to demolish parts of the ABC building, providing no input, advice or recommendations regarding the notice. Any suggestions to the contrary are wholly false and without foundation.”
