April 26 2022

A historic building in Glasgow's east end has become the latest to succumb to a spate of unexplained fires.

Twelve fire appliances were called out to douse flames at the B-listed Queen Mary Street Nursery on Bernard Terrace, Bridgeton, on Friday night, with the blaze being brought under control in the early hours of Saturday.

Within an hour of emergency services departing the scene Safer Scotland was on hand to seal off the dangerous site with mobile security including CCTV towers while a risk assessment of the surviving structure is carried out.

Managing director Phil Bunting said: “In what is becoming an all too familiar occurrence, proven security companies such as Safer Scotland are being called in to secure the remains of yet another historic building destroyed by what might well prove to be arson.

“We think enough is enough and believe our offer to support government and local authorities with security measures to protect Scotland’s historic buildings before they fall victim to arsonists should be taken up more widely.”

Glasgow and its environs have been beset by regular suspicious fires in historic buildings, notably a blaze at the B-listed Troon Station; a B-listed Territorial Army Drill Hall in Paisley and of course the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art.

7 Comments

#1 Posted by Edward Harkkns on 26 Apr 2022 at 13:56 PM

Dismaying that this is an all-too familiar Glasgow tale. Rapacious 'developers' destroying our built environment heritage. The losses include some world class treasures such as the work of Alexander Greek Thomson.

#2 Posted by Graeme McCormick on 26 Apr 2022 at 14:17 PM

I don't wish to be pedantic but arson is not a crime under Scots Law. Wilful Fire-raising is.

#3 Posted by Terra on 26 Apr 2022 at 18:57 PM

Greater fire protection yes but; hasn't it got to the point that there needs to be some kind of investigation into this? like using forensics, etc.
Do fire services in Scotland have their own investigators? to augment, what needs to be, a police one?
If not then there should be. It makes sense for the fire department to have their own, and this is key here, EXPERT investigation unit.
C'mon guys!

#4 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 27 Apr 2022 at 08:36 AM

Thank you Urban Realm for often including Street View links in your articles - they are very useful.

In this instance, rewinding the Street View image to 2009 restores the sash & case windows and you can see what a fine building this was.

Its setting, Bridgeton, considerably less so unfortunately. They set fire to the wrong building.

#5 Posted by Gordon on 27 Apr 2022 at 10:53 AM

The 'Glasgow Method' follows on from the 'Glasgow Effect'.....you just don't need the buildings when the folks have all passed away.

#6 Posted by Robin B's Discount on 28 Apr 2022 at 14:23 PM

Seems like a very good marketing pitch for Safer Scotland, and by god has Phil grasped the opportunity with both hands.

#7 Posted by GMan on 3 May 2022 at 18:58 PM

Glasgow is known as Tinderbox City and as far as I am aware and never seen it highlighted that nobody has ever been prosecuted for stuff like this..

It seems like the cops and the council have actively encouraged this stuff over a number of years as when these things occur, they are always asleep or maybe down at the beach with their heads in the sand playing see no evil, hear no evil..

Much better to remove a legacy with no evidence to back up that legacy as it keeps going up in Flames and turn Glasgow into a giant housing scheme with little or no places to go unless you're into getting wrecked..

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