Joy at bid to knock down derelict pub
DELIGHT over the demolition of the Talisman pub will be an opportunity to reset the community’s frayed relationship with the site’s owner, an MSP has said.
We told last month how the pub, viewed by many as symbolic of the community’s decades-long decline, will finally be demolished after a show-down between its owner Mohammed Ameen Mirza and the council.
In light of the local authority’s grand plans to redevelop the north of the city with its Strategic Development Framework, Bob Doris, who represents Maryhill and Springburn in Holyrood, wants Mr Mirza to sit down with members of the community to discuss what they would like to see done with the site.
While the council has no legal powers to force the millionaire businessman’s hand, Mr Doris thinks a discussion with Springburn locals could open up the possibility of further regeneration in the area, in line with the local authority’s masterplan.
He said: “The demolition of the Talisman will be both symbolic and significantly enhance the local environment once the eyesore is finally gone and the land left behind made good.”
He added that the council’s framework for the area includes a consideration of the future use of any derelict land in the area, including the former pub and the site’s connection to the wider area.
“Clearly the owner will have his views on the future of the site, but so do the community. Demolishing and making good the land is an opportunity for him to reset his relationship with the community,” said the SNP MSP.
“I would encourage him to open up a dialogue with the local community council to discuss what the future may hold for the site.”
The pub holds many happy memories for those who lived in the area in the past as a popular venue for wedding receptions and other big events. It went out of business and then became a derelict and dangerous site, plagued by graffiti and neglect.
Mr Mirza – the director of the Nisa chain of stores – was forced to demolish the site after the council threatened him with a compulsory purchase order last month.
The Glasgow Times made repeated attempts to contact Mr Mirza for comment.
I would encourage him to open up dialogue