Councillors have agreed to keep a much-loved Victorian park attraction open to the public and to take further action to protect its future.
A petition calling for the Queen’s Park Glasshouse to be kept open and council-owned was presented to a meeting of Glasgow City Council’s (GCC) wellbeing, equalities, communities, culture, and engagement city policy committee today (August 13).
During this, it was confirmed that concerns raised, including halting the closure, reinstating staff and maintenance plans, keeping it free and open to the public, committing to a full and transparent public consultation for any proposed change of use, and reaffirming the council’s commitment to public ownership, deserved further action.
The future of the 130-year-old facility will now be referred to the appropriate committee, along with recommendations.
A commitment was also made that a report from this committee would be produced within six months.
In the meantime, the Glasshouse will stay open to the public, free of charge, while discussions on longer-term sustainable future uses get underway.
Council officials confirmed that the building would not be sold and that the local authority is seeking partners, a tenant, or tenants to operate the Glasshouse.
Additionally, the council will look to identify funding to restore the Glasshouse to an ‘excellent standard’ and reinstate its dome.
Members of the Save the Queen’s Park Glasshouse campaign were thanked for their tireless efforts over the past two months, which included standing outside the building for 285 hours gathering public views and collecting around 13,000 signatures in support of their petition.
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Campaigners held a demonstration outside Glasgow City Chambers as the petition was heard.
Judith, a member of the group, told our reporter it was “important to take a stand”.
She said: “It’s not just a community asset. It is a gift to us from the people who have gone before us in our community.
“We have to look after it in order to gift it on to people in the future. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. So it is incumbent upon us to look after it and to give that to our children, our grandchildren in the future along with the stories of how it has enriched our lives.
“I think it’s so important to take a stand and say that no, we’re not prepared to let this go, this is ours.”
The Glasshouse faced permanent closure after the council stated earlier this year that its running costs were unsustainable.
The historic Southside landmark was initially set to shut in August as part of a cost-cutting measure, agreed in 2023, as GCC attempts to plug a near-£50 million gap in its budget.
Now, the council has committed to continued community engagement, protecting public access, and net-zero improvements to reduce emissions and long-term heating costs.
Holly Bruce, Scottish Greens councillor for Langside, hailed the decision as an “important victory” for local residents.
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She said: “This is an important victory for the campaigners who refused to let this much-loved building be abandoned.
“Our amendment has secured action to save our Glasshouse in Queen’s Park. The Glasshouse is a really special place for people across the Southside.
“Generations of families have created memories, visited, learned and spent time together there. It deserves the investment and imagination to give it a long-term future for more generations to come.
“My amendment means we now have a clear timetable, a commitment to public consultation and a requirement to explore the funding needed to restore the Glasshouse and its iconic dome.
“These commitments must now be delivered, and I will continue working with campaigners and the wider community to ensure the Glasshouse remains an open, accessible and thriving public space for everyone to enjoy.”
Paul Sweeney MSP for Glasgow attended the demonstration held outside the City Chambers and described the campaign as a “brilliant example of people power”.
He added: “I think it’s another brilliant example of people power and action in Glasgow. The question now turns to what is the medium to long-term future?
“It will remain under council ownership, but they’re going to be seeking a commercial partner or charitable partner to take on the lease to operate it.
“I think there needs to be a serious look at that. The key thing for me is we need to protect the core part of the building which is currently used by the public for free.”
Meanwhile, Bailie Soryia Siddique, who represents Southside Central, said campaigners' efforts had "shown the strength of communities when they come together".
She said: "Thanks to the dedicated campaigners, and to the children and families across Glasgow, for your passionate and determined campaign to save Queen's Park Glasshouse.
"Your commitment has shown the strength of communities when they come together to protect shared heritage.
"This must now be followed by an open, transparent decision-making process with meaningful community engagement, ensuring local voices are at the heart of decisions.
"The SNP–Green administration at Glasgow City Council must reflect on the impact of budget decisions that many constituents felt lacked transparency, sufficient detail and genuine community empowerment."
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