Listed Partick building just off Byres Road to be demolished

Glasgow City Council intends to knock down the “ruinous” Church Street building, with officials reporting it could benefit the “future development” of the land.

There are plans to refurbish the wider site, which includes the former Church Street Parish School building and a swimming pool block.

It has been claimed revamping the school would provide a “modern facility” for the current users, Glasgow’s health and social work services, while it was previously reported the swimming pool building could become a GP surgery.

Planning documents state the parish school, built between 1903 and 1904, closed in 1976 and is now offices, while the poolhouse “remained operational until 1997”.

They added: “Since the school’s closure, the janitor’s house has greatly deteriorated; the roof, first floor, windows and the majority of the internal walls are no longer present. The few remaining walls are in poor condition.

“Buddleia and other organic growth have resulted in extensive damage to the building fabric and structure. Works were undertaken to stabilise the building in 2004, with scaffolding still present, however there has been little to no intervention since.”

As well as the demolition, there will be refurbishment works to the school building in what is “intended to be the first phase of the proposed redevelopment of the Church Street site”. Funding has been secured for repairs which will provide “appropriate, insulated” accommodation for social work services by 2026.

The plans added the “wider aim of the council is to bring the pool building back to a usable and stable condition”. “Clearly no promises can be made at this time and this would need to be part of a larger business case development to prove viability and suitability for future purpose,” they added.

The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland did express “disappointment” at the demolition plan, but council officials claim it is an “exceptional circumstance that will enable other buildings covered by the listing to be repaired”.

Historic Environment Scotland accepted it would “not be a practical or reasonable exercise to market the building because of its relationship to the neighbouring vacant swimming pool building”, officials reported. They believe repairs are “not economically viable”.

The plans claimed the “likely value for the building if it were marketed for sale would be approximately £350,000”, but the cost of rebuilding is “approximately £745,000”, leaving a “conservation deficit of around £395,000”.

At a council meeting in July year, it was revealed the second phase of the redevelopment could see the swimming pool building brought back into use.

Cllr Ruairi Kelly, SNP, said, subject to talks with the NHS and the development of a business case, a refurbishment and extension could be completed to provide “modern primary care facilities for GP practices and supporting community services”.