Glasgow butchers at risk of closure due to City Property 'neglect'

Sandy Smith Butchers were asked to vacate their shop on Drumoyne Road in May by landlord City Property. But they now fear they will still be out of the premises for weeks to come which will leave them in "financial ruin".

A badly damaged gable wall on the side of their Govan shop requires masonry to be rebuilt and further work to fix corroded roof beams.

Sandy Smith (Image: Gordon Terris)

Mr Smith told the Glasgow Times that City Property said the work could last 12 week but the firm said timescales would be provided in the next week.

The 55-year-old said: "We've been out of the shop for 11 weeks now and they've not started a bit of work.

"They've basically left me hanging out to dry.

"It's a wee local community shop. I've been here 20 years this August and my business is just slipping away very, very slowly."

Inside Sandy Smith Butchers (Image: Gordon Terris)

Inside Sandy Smith Butchers (Image: Gordon Terris)

Mr Smith has told of the immense stress he feels amid the uncertainty of his business's future.

While he waits for his shop to be repaired, he has been operating out of a temporary unit in Kirkintilloch offering home delivery which he has said is unsustainable.

He said: "The only suitable premises we could find are 22 additional miles onto our daily commute so I have workers who are looking to be reimbursed.

"The rent is more than double and I have no retail sales so my turnover has drastically dropped.

"I am offering a home delivery service so again diesel expenses onto that, I need to keep customers so can’t start charging delivery when I previously offered free delivery.

"Financially my outgoing has dramatically increased but my incomings have dramatically decreased and right now the situation is not sustainable."

Photo of the gable wall from February 2023 (Image: Supplied)

Photo of the gable wall from February 2023 (Image: Supplied)
A spokesperson for City Property said the firm would be able to assist with offsetting the additional costs caused by the building work and they offered to meet with Mr Smith to discuss this.

Mr Smith says that City Property, an arms-length organisation of Glasgow City Council, has been "neglecting" the repairs and claims that the firm has known about the damaged wall since at least the beginning of the year.

He said: “This has been going on since March and I left in May.

“The job should have been done in 2016. That’s how far back this job goes.

"They’ve never done it, now we’re in 2023 and the building at that end is unsafe.”

A spokesperson for City Property said: "The gable end has not yet been fixed due to additional, complex issues being identified upon commencement of the works.

"Once we were able to continue the opening up works, our structural engineer discovered corrosion to both the front and rear steel pitched roof support beams, the need for additional structural support to the head of the gable wall and the need for renewal of a flat roof.

"We anticipate that we will receive pricing and timescales for the completion of these works in the next week.

"The programme for the works will not only be determined by the time taken to complete the work, but also the procurement period for the steel beams."

The all-important Christmas period for Sandy Smith Butchers is just around the corner but Mr Smith fears the business will could be permanently closed by then if they can't move back into their shop.

He said: "We normally start Christmas in October. If I'm not back in by October I'll be financially ruined.

"I'm just a tenant, but they have a duty of care towards their tenant.

"Time is marching on. If they don't get in there and get that job done then I dont know what I'll do.

"My shop is in tatters and my business is in ruins."

A spokesperson for City Property added: "City Property is keen to see Mr Smith trading back in the premises as soon as possible and we will continue to keep him updated as best we can."