'No final decision' on future of Queen's Park Glasshouse, says council

The upcoming closure of the Queen’s Park Glasshouse was raised at a meeting of Glasgow City Council’s (GCC) City Administration Committee on Thursday, June 18.

It came after hundreds attended a peaceful demonstration last weekend, fighting back against the local authority’s decision to shut the 130-year-old facility in August as it attempts to plug a near-£50 million hole in its budget.

The demonstration was held in Queen's Park last weekend (Image: Councillor Soryia Siddique)

Bailie Soryia Siddique, who was at the demonstration, told the meeting she had heard from residents who felt there was a “lack of their voice” in the move to close the Southside greenspace.

Councillor Siddique at the demonstration (Image: Councillor Soryia Siddique)

One of the organisers of the protest previously claimed that there was “no consultation” with the community, which found out about the closure through a post on Facebook.

Councillor Siddique, who represents Southside Central, questioned how local voices were being taken into account when it comes to Glasgow heritage.

She said: “Section 3.1 of the report talks about partnership with community groups and others to regenerate buildings and structures.

“You’ll possibly be aware of the strength of feeling with regard to the Queen’s Park Glasshouse, where hundreds of local residents and in fact also Glasgow-wide, came together to raise their concerns.

“One thing that keeps coming up over and over again is the lack of their voice in the decision-making process.

“So, how is the local community’s voice embedded into the decision-making process when it comes to Glasgow’s heritage?”

READ NEXT:

In response, Councillor Ruari Kelly confirmed that “no final decision” had been made on the site’s future.

Councillor Kelly added that GCC was actively working on finding alternative uses for the Glasshouse so that it can “remain accessible to the public”, and so the dome can be replaced.

He replied: “There hasn’t been a final decision made on anything, so what we’re currently working on is alternative uses for Queen’s Park Glasshouse so that it can remain accessible to the public, so that the dome can be replaced, so that the future of it is made secure.

“That will involve discussions with the public, consultation, information fed back from conservation organisations, local community groups, and elected members.

“But as I say, there has not been a decision made in terms of the ongoing future or what’s going to happen with the Glasshouse.

“It’s very much the case of the council looking to find a solution as we have been with many of our other heritage assets.”

Hundreds are said to have turned out for the demonstration on Saturday, June 13 (Image: Councillor Soryia Siddique)

READ NEXT:

Councillor Kelly directed anyone who wants their views to be taken into account on the issue to the Built Heritage Commission.

He added: “There is a huge number that I wouldn’t possibly be able to list all of the ways that people can engage and make their voice heard and what happens with Glasgow’s Built Heritage and I think definitely there’s probably more opportunities now than there ever has been there’s a strong online community for most of these projects and facilities where people are able to bring their voice to the fore quite quickly.”

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Siddique told the Glasgow Times that decision makers “must listen to local voices”.

She commented: “Today (June 18) at GCC, I raised the concerns of countless people fighting to save Queen’s Park Glasshouse.

“The depth of feeling within the community should not be ignored. The decision-makers must listen to local voices, respect the community’s wishes, and recognise the importance of preserving and restoring this much-loved part of Glasgow’s heritage for future generations.”