LOCKED OUT...

Families face three months out of their homes after School of Art fire

RESIDENTS have been told they face a three-month wait to get back into their homes after the School of Art fire.

Council leader Susan Aitken told a residents’ meeting no definite timescale could be given but said no-one will be allowed in until it is safe.

She said the building was dangerous and the cordon must remain in place.

We still truly don’t know the condition of the building

RESIDENTS have been told they may face an agonising three month wait to return to their homes following the Glasgow School of Art fire.

Desperate householders were told it could “easy be” September before they were able to access the area, dependent on how work on the site proceeds when it begins today.

At a meeting in Rose Street Multi Cultural Centre in Garnethill yesterday, displaced residents quizzed Glasgow City Council leader, Susan Aitken and council building chiefs on the possibility of entry to their homes in order to collect vital belongings but were told the site was “too dangerous”.

Raymond Barlow, assistant head of planning and building standards, said: “What we established [during initial analysis of the site] was it was far, far worse than we had hoped for.

“We still truly don’t know the condition of the building.”

He added: “We can’t give you that timeframe. It’s just not safe enough.

“We can’t take the risk of any public access, which is the unfortunate consequence of where we are.”

Work will begin on the fire ravaged historic building today, which should provide a clearer picture on a timescale for residents, Mr Barlow said.

He said attempts to reduce the cordon sooner will be made if it’s deemed safe by contractors, but precautions will be put in place in Scott Street to prepare for “unexpected collapse” when workers enter the site, making it unlikely the street’s residents will be able to return home prior to the work’s completion.

Ms Aitken said: “We would not lightly displace 33 residences at one time but we don’t have that timescale yet.

“The reality is we don’t know that much. This is an unfolding situation.

“I can no more put [the council’s] staff at risk, than I can put you at risk.”

She added: “After public safety, out next biggest priority is getting you back in your home as quickly as we can, but as quickly as we can is not going to be that quick.

“It’s likely going to be two or three months.

“If there’s a small piece of comfort we can give you, after Victoria’s [nightclub fire] the team said ‘we think this is going to take three months’ and that’s how long it’s taken.”

The massive fire engulfed so much of the GoSA Mackintosh building, emergency services were forced to batter down doors of surrounding properties to ensure the safety of householders, resulting i n a £165 bill for householders.

While the cost for those living in temporary accommodation, many of whom have had “several” temporary homes since the devastating blaze broke out on June 15, is beginning to mount, prompting calls for the council to step in.

A fund set up the by Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government will allow displaced residents to apply for up to £3000 of funding but those who live within the exclusion zone have said it’s simply not enough.

One resident told councillors: “It’ll work out about £250 a week.

“I don’t have insurance and I’ve lived there for 28 years.

“It’s not enough. If it was all of you, you would want more. It’s your job.”

Ms Aitken said she was working diligently to increase the fund by encouraging charities to provide support for residents – which she said she was “surprised” not to have seen more of over