Residents to rally for ‘lifeline’ facility to reopen
RESIDENTS in the north of Glasgow will rally for the reopening of a “lifeline” community facility – amid fears it could be sold to a residential developer.
Ruchill Community Centre, in one of the city’s poorest areas, has been closed since March 2020, when it shut down due to the pandemic.
Now, campaigners will gather at the community centre tomorrow to demand answers on the future of the facility, after it emerged a private residential developer expressed interest in purchasing the site.
The protest comes after the Glasgow Times launched its Save Our Venues campaign, calling on Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life to reopen community facilities that are still closed after Covid lockdowns.
Fiona Higgins, Labour councillor for the Canal Ward, said residents were told the delay in reopening was due to lack of funding to cover the cost of essential repairs.
However, she claimed some of the works would not be necessary to allow access.
She said: “It was closed for Covid, like a number of local venues, but as restrictions ended it has not been reopened.
“We were told it was because there was a significant repair bill of £220,000.
“Things like £30,000 for decorating, £20,000 for LED lights, £50,000 for new windows, I’ve queried a number of these things since they seemed fine to me when I visited the place.
“These don’t seem like essential repairs to get into opening condition.”
The list, seen by the Glasgow Times, also includes a bill of £15,000 for CCTV, which cllr Higgins said the centre never had before, and other Glasgow Life venues have been allowed to open without.
The Labour councillor also believes the centre would be at risk of permanent closure, after being told a private residential developer expressed interest in the site.
“We know there’s been an interested party who expressed interest in the land because I was told that by Glasgow Life in an email,” she said.
“I’m trying to find out more because I don’t want anything to happen to the community centre, which, from what I can see, isn’t in a state of disrepair the way we’ve been told it is.
“I am concerned that the land will be bought by a private developer who will demolish the centre.
“We need to protect this site, and reopen it for the people of Ruchill.”
The campaign for the reopening of Ruchill Community Centre started after the first lockdown eased, in late 2020, at the same time as the Maryhill Library campaign, which has since reopened.
“It was extremely well used, for example for after-school programmes for children, it had several hundreds users a week,” added cllr Higgins.
“It was an incredible lifeline for the community.”
Labour councillors, MSP Paul Sweeney, and Glasgow Against Closure will all join in the day of action.
Sweeney said: “The continued closure of Ruchill Community Centre is intolerable, and entirely within the gift of Glasgow Life to resolve.
“A complete lack of low cost, preventative maintenance has resulted in an eye-watering repair bill meaning the centre looks likely to remain closed.
“It is gross negligence on the part of Glasgow Life to allow a vital community asset to fall into such disrepair that it is required to close indefinitely.
“Money is available from a developer contribution to Glasgow City Council from new housing at the adjacent old Ruchill Hospital site, and the reopening of Ruchill Community Centre must be prioritised by Glasgow Life. We won’t stand for it anymore, and I will be there on Saturday in solidarity with the local community in Ruchill.”
Paula Davies, campaigner to reopen Ruchill Community Centre, said: “We are not asking for anything unreasonable. The benefits of a community centre for Ruchill – one of the most deprived areas in the city – will be far reaching.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “Glasgow Life has so far reopened more than 100 venues which were forced to close due to the pandemic.
“In its 2022/23 budget, Glasgow City Council (GCC) allocated a further £1.1m of funding to reopen community venues following a consultation and prioritisation process.
“A report was approved at a GCC committee in June outlining how we plan to undertake this process over the summer period.
“Any decision regarding the reopening of venues will be made at a future GCC committee meeting.”
A petition to save Ruchill Community Centre has now reached more than 600 signatures.
It was an incredible lifeline for the community