A historic hospital is to be demolished after the Scottish Government upheld a planning appeal against Glasgow City Council.
The report states:
Scottish Enterprise applied to the council to flatten the 11 listed buildings which form the Ruchill Hospital site last year so the land could be sold on for housing development.
After the council refused planning permission, the publicly funded body applied to the government to overturn the decision to knock down the buildings on Bilsland Drive.
A spokesman for Scottish Enterprise said the fabric of the buildings – which housed wards, administration blocks and a mortuary – had deteriorated so much since the hospital closed in 1998 that it would be impossible to see the the site unless they were knocked down.
A government planning report stated that the buildings had been vandalised and valuable lead and slate removed, leaving them damaged by water and in poor condition.
The move has been welcomed by Alex Neil, the cabinet secretary for infrastructure and capital investment, who said it was a ‘significant step towards regeneration of a difficult site.’
The hospital was built in the 19th century and specialised in the treatment of infectious diseases. The B and C listed buildings date from 1895.
Scottish Enterprise’s director of business infrastructure, Allan McQuade, said: ‘We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and local authority to explore all viable options for the Ruchill site. Despite ongoing maintenance over the last decade, the structures continue to deteriorate with pace. We have made every effort to market the site with its existing buildings, but regrettably the only feasible route forward is for demolition of the Grade B and C listed structures.’
Scottish Enterprise have been trying to sell the land since 1999. One housing developer pulled out of plans for the site in 2008 and there have been no other developments earmarked since the start of the recession.
Mr McQuade added: ‘We are therefore pleased that listed building consent for demolition has been granted and will now proceed to implement a programme of works which includes retention of the Grade A listed water tower and prepare the site for future development.’
Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, said: ‘This is a significant step towards regeneration of a difficult site and, given its scale, of Ruchill itself. I have been working closely with the local politicians, Scottish Enterprise and Glasgow City Council over the past few months with the aim of developing proposals to take to the community. A cleared site, apart from the iconic A-listed water tower which will be retained, will certainly provide further impetus to development.’
The council had refused planning permission because that they believed more work should be done to discover whether the buildings could be retained and that they were not convinced that it was not economically viable to restore the buildings.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: ‘We are aware of the Scottish Government’s decision to uphold the appeal to demolish some of the buildings on the site.’
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