‘WE ARE VICTIMS OF ART SCHOOL TRAGEDY TOO’
Blaze-hit traders feel like an ‘afterthought’
BUSINESS owners crippled by the aftermath of the Glasgow School of Art fire have slammed the council for treating them “like an afterthought”.
They hit out at a lack of information on when they will be able to get back in and said the fire was becoming a tragedy for other businesses.
Meanwhile, the council said it was “significantly” reducing the cordon but a “substantial” exclusion zone would remain in place.
DEVASTATED business owners affected by the Glasgow School of Art blaze say they feel “isolated” and like an “afterthought”.
A group of 30-40 businessmen and women met with representatives from Glasgow City Council yesterday to discuss the cordon preventing them from accessing their premises.
Frustrated owners told of their dismay over the lack of correspondence from emergency services and Glasgow City Council.
They claimed to have had no correspondence from council officials to inform them when they would be able to regain access to their shops and eateries.
Their comments came hours before the council announced it was “significantly” reducing the cordon, allowing some businesses access, but warned a “significant exclusion zone” would remain for the foreseeable future.
Gill Hutchison, the owner of Biggar music store, which has operated for over 150 years, said: “The tragedy of the art school is the tragedy of other businesses.
“We don’t have information but at least we’ve managed to organise representatives to speak to a contact, and that’ll be the beginning of the process for us.
“We’ve had nothing so far other than the police at the cordon.”
The fire at the Mackintosh building on Renfrew Street is the second in just four years.
It had been undergoing restoration work after the last blaze in May 2014 when the huge fire hit late on Friday night.
Paul Evangelista, owner of Absolut Hair and Beauty, said: “We’ve been treated as an afterthought. I’m being made to look like I’m in the wrong when my livelihood’s at stake here. I feel like we’re doing our best to try and make a bad situation a little clearer.
“Even when the council come back to us though I don’t see what they’re going to do, the fire department is in control of everything. It’s all talk.
“We all feel very isolated. I’ve been hounding people to try and find out what’s happening.”
The council yesterday announced that businesses affected by the fire, and those hit by the fire in Sauchiehall Street in March which are still facing disruption due to
the demolition work, would benefit from reduced business rates.
Quinnan Lee, proprietor of restaurant Thairiffic, spoke of the discussion as merely a “starting point”.
He said: “I seen the last fire four years ago and now this time, and this one’s worse. I’m definitely concerned.
“We all share similar concerns. The art school’s a tragedy but the human tragedy’s closely following.”
Detailed work has begun to assess the condition of the school.
GSA said a team of experts was able to enter the Mackintosh Building to begin examining the scale of the damage on Monday and were “optimistic”.
The team included staff from GSA’s school of simulation and visualisation as well as those from Glasgow City Council, Historic Environment Scotland and specialist
We’ve been treated as an afterthought. I’m being made to look like I’m in the wrong when my livelihood’s at stake here
structural engineers David Narro Associations.
Detailed photography and aerial drone footage as well as a 3D visualisation of the scene has been collected.
GSA director Professor Tom Inns and chair of the board of governors Muriel Gray were allowed access to the site for the first time yesterday.
Prof Inns said: “This was the first opportunity for the expert team to see the building and begin what will be a long and complex process of determining the future of the building, but we remain optimistic.”
Ms Gray added: “There is a huge desire to see Mackintosh’s masterpiece rise again, one which we all share.
“We have incredibly detailed information on the building collated over the last four years, and have worked with teams of talented craftspeople who were doing a tremendous job on the restoration.
“However, this was one of our first proper looks at the building. As soon as we can we will share information with you.”
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken has said the building is “largely structurally solid.”
She told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “Certainly I think the consensus is that there’s hope and we’re certainly not writing off the Mackintosh Building.
“Our intention and our focus will be to try to save that building and to find a future for it.”
Experts have estimated the cost of rebuilding the gutted Mackintosh Building would be at least £100million, if anything can be salvaged at all.
Concerns about contractors Kier Construction were raised in the chamber by SNP MSP Joan McAlpine, who pointed to a highly critical inquiry into the company’s work on the DG One leisure centre in Dumfries.
Addressing Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, she said: “Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that it’s shocking that this particular company was in charge of the restoration of the most important piece of Scottish art ever produced?”
Ms Hyslop responded: “I cannot as a government minister rush to judgement on anything that can be said about the incident of the fire without the explanation that we can have from the investigations that are taking place and I would caution members in terms of what they accuse other institutions of doing or not doing until that information is there.”
Meanwhile, a disability charity says it will lose thousands of pounds putting services at risk after it was forced to cancel its annual fundraiser due to the fire.
Paragon Music has had to pull Jamathon 18, which was due to take place last night, at the Centre for Contemporary Arts on Sauchiehall Street. The building remains sealed off following the blaze.
Paragon, which helps widen access to music and dance for people with learning disabilities, is now desperately trying to raise the cash to stage another event.
The charity warned the resultant financial losses of cancelling the event would have a “severe impact” on their annual programme of events for people with disabilities.
The charity has launched a fundraising page with a target of £2000 set in the hope that the event can be re-scheduled. To make a c donation go to www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/ paragon-music/ jamathon18