Someone could be killed if this ‘bomb site’ isn’t cleaned up
Fears derelict snooker hall is danger to public safety
JONATHAN GEDDES
A derelict Cambuslang building is now in such a state of disrepair that some residents believe it is an accident waiting to happen.
The abandoned snooker hall on Burn Place, which has been compared by locals to a “bomb site”, has been a worsening eyesore in the area for 20 years, with debris strewn around the area including a disused toilet pan.
The building is near the County Inn pub and next to the Indian Palms restaurant – which is currently closed for refurbishment work – and the former Indiana Dome restaurant, which is currently being converted into a new eatery.
For years it has been used as a drinking den, and South Lanarkshire Council bosses say that – as the land is privately owned – there is nothing more they can do.
However, disgruntled resident Sammy Riggins told the Reformer: “The building is unsafe and the roof is falling in.
“There’s schoolkids there every day.
“It will kill anyone under it (if it collapses). It’s like a bomb site.”
Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey told the Reformer that she is similarly worried about the situation. She said: “The condition of the building is very concerning, and it is clearly a safety risk.
“It is also worrying to learn that the building has been derelict for around 20 years and that it has been allowed to deteriorate by the owners.
“The Scottish Government plans on introducing compulsory sales orders which would give councils powers to force sales of empty buildings – which is expected to be legislated for in the next parliamentary session which begins in 2021.
“Of course, at Burn Place though, we need to ensure that the building is made safe as a matter of urgency.” In 2014, the late Cambuslang West councillor Clare McColl called for the building to be bulldozed after several deliberate fires were lit there. Mrs McColl also stated at the time that she feared someone could be killed.
However, despite her calls for action, the building has continued to deteriorate in the intervening years.
Councillor John Bradley, who represents Cambuslang West, said: “Trinity High School is a couple of minutes away, and with two restaurants either side of the building – one of which is opening this month– there will continue to be a lot of footfall.
“The safety of the public is our main priority, so I will keep in close contact with the council to see what safeguards can be put in place.”
South Lanarkshire Council stated that it is trying to find out who is responsible for some of the waste left at that site.
However, it confirmed that the land is privately owned and the responsibilty for making the building secure lies with the owner.
Shirley Clelland, head of fleet and environmental services, said: “Environmental services are aware of this issue and we are trying to identify who is responsible for the waste.
“If the person responsible can’t be located it will fall to the land owner to remove the material.”
The building is unsafe and the roof is falling in. It will kill anyone under it [if it collapses]. It’s a bomb site