Possilpark cinema owner fails to overturn emergency listing
July 11 2025
The Scottish Government has dismissed an appeal by Allied Vehicles against the listing of a historic Possilpark cinema, after fears were raised over public safety at the half-demolished Balmore Road site.
The building owner had requested that an emergency decision to C-list surviving elements of the 1930s building, after its roof was demolished, be rescinded on safety grounds. This includes front and side masonry elements only with all other auditorium features having been lost.
Dismissing the appeal the government reporter wrote: "... the issue of a building preservation notice (BPN) is an exceptional action. Glasgow City Council and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) could have handled the listing process better in relation to communication, reasoning and timing.
"Nevertheless, these shortcomings did not preclude HES from listing the building. In the circumstances of this case, I find that what remains of the building is of special architectural and historic interest. There are no factors which would justify the building not being listed. Consequently, the building should remain listed."
The structural integrity of surviving masonry has been called into question following the removal of the roof and associated steel bracing, which have left walls fully exposed to the elements.
Reacting to the news architect Alan Dunlop said: "I am delighted. As someone born in Springburn and who lived just off Hawthorn Street, close to the junction of Balmore Road, the Vogue Cinema was distinctive and it marked an important road junction. The Springburn that I knew, particularly Springburn Road which was once a thriving shopping and community street, has been destroyed, The Princess Cinema on Gourley Street and many other buildings of architectural merit have been demolished. Possilpark now seems to be suffering the same fate. The Vogue Cinema is not a classic but it is the only building of any character and architectural worth left in this area of Possilpark and certainly worthy of retaining.
"As an architect with forty years experience of building major projects, including working with listed buildings and on conservation projects, bringing them back to life, I know this building can be and should be saved. Granting the appeal would have created an unwelcome precedent and perverse incentive for any owner to unilaterally seek to demolish a building that is subject to a designation assessment before Historic Environment Scotland has had the opportunity to conclude its assessment.
"Rewarding this would be disastrous for Scotland's built heritage. It is clear that there are several examples of art deco cinema façades that have been successfully preserved as part of residential or commercial development and the designation does not undermine that future development opportunity for the site in this case, indeed it is a reasonable compromise that could be resolved if the appellant subsequently now submits a new planning application to Glasgow City Council for a project that incorporates at least the facade."
4 Comments
While the bigger more important ones are still falling down, often with a nasty shove, round our ears.
Why?
And heaven forbid you try to make modest liveable changes to one of them.....
Good that the building was saved but bigger more important fish to fry first in my opinion using spare energy and civic actions as you say.
I do hope though that you manage to find an economic use for the half destroyed shell.
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Something badly wrong when Civic Scotland chooses a C list mountain to die on when so many A and B listed buildings are allowed to rot away to dereliction or spontaneously combust.
Control freakery / ego tripping look is not what we need from the public sector at the moment -- this way Donny John comes eventually.