October 14 2021

Glasgow City Council has initiated works to stabilise the B-listed Haghill Primary, by authorising the painstaking process of dismantling the historic structure stone by stone and removing buddleia growth following widespread water ingress and salt seepage.

The painstaking operation by Caskie Demolition, overseen by Glasgow Heritage, seeks to maximise salvageable stonework and partial facade retention on Marwick Street. Health and safety measures call for the Walter Street facade to be reduced to single-storey height with only the boundary wall, railings and janitor house left untouched.

Outlining the need for urgent action a structural survey undertaken by David Narro Associates observed: "... the building has deteriorated since 2004 and appears to have accelerated in the last seven years. It is now at a critical point in time in terms of how feasible it is to save it."

The salvage effort will retain decorative elements such as a date stone, cornice, 'School Board of Glasgow' relief, ornate arches and carved 'boys' and 'girls' stonework on-site for future reinstatement. This material will adorn a future social housing development by Milnbank Housing Association.

The red sandstone school board building dates from 1904 and was designed by Andrew Lindsay Miller, its fate mirroring that of the nearby Golfhill Primary in Dennistoun.

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Mick on 14 Oct 2021 at 08:47 AM

Another east end school bites the dust. A few miles across the city -in the more affluent west end, school buildings are rightly preserved and reused as housing. A small but appalling example of Glasgow’s class divide.

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 14 Oct 2021 at 11:43 AM

Who has owned the building since 2004?
Surely a prime case of wilful neglect?

#3 Posted by UR on 14 Oct 2021 at 13:22 PM

City Property Glasgow. A sale was attempted to Spectrum Properties for £75k in 2018 but fell through.
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/viewSelectedDocument.asp?c=P62AFQDN2U81DX81NT

#4 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Oct 2021 at 10:04 AM

Not the first and unfortunately will not be the last.

Allowed to rot since 2004.
Public body in full "can't be ersed" mode.
Is this ignorance reinforced by trouser snakery?
If it falls down then we get more for the site?

Utter disgrace that public assets are allowed to deteriorate in this manner?

How much money has been spent on public sector new builds in this time?

Surely with the success of City Park up the road a future as cheap office space would have been possible?

Total lack of ambition / desire / imagination.
Not the public sector at its finest.

#5 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Oct 2021 at 10:32 AM

Google maps tells its own story.

2013? / 3D images from Rightmove -- site looks tidy.
2020? / 3D images on Google Maps -- jungle in all directions.

Dates might be wrong but the direction of travel is not.

Functioning building in 2004 turned into a decaying wreck by 2021.

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