Councillors approve off-market disposal of crumbling Glasgow school site to housing association
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The old Haghill Primary School site in Glasgow’s East End is to be transformed into affordable housing after councillors approved the sale of the land to Milnbank Housing Association.
Glasgow City Council had already started demolition of the crumbling B-listed building in Marwick Street, which closed in June 2004.
The three-storey school building with a basement and a two-storey schoolhouse date from the early 1900s and take up a whole block.
The council’s contracts and property committee met yesterday to decide whether to approve the principle for an ‘off-market disposal’ of the property to Milnbank Housing Association.
Councillors were told that the structure fell into “a state of considerable disrepair” because of “prolonged vacancy and the lack of any investment”.
A report by officials stated: “Due to the dilapidated condition of the subjects, the council has commenced the demolition of the school building, with the demolition costs being part-funded by Glasgow City Council and the purchaser.
“The purchaser’s proposals will include retention of some of the original architectural façade with sandstone/materials from the demolished building being repurposed for inclusion in the new-build residential development, subject to conditions agreed with the planning department.”
The potential housing development is to keep some of the architectural features of the original property according to a council paper.
The council report said: “The purchaser’s proposals will include retention of some of the original architectural façade with sandstone/materials from the demolished building being re-purposed for inclusion in the new build residential development, subject to conditions agreed with the planning department.”
The school was advertised for sale in 2017 and an offer was received from Spectrum Properties for the development of homes on the site. But negotiations fell through after a “failure to agree a figure for the demolition of the existing buildings” according to the report.
The council report said the Milnbank Housing Association has been interested in buying the site since 2006 but plans were help-up due to the cost of the redevelopment and lack of grant funding.
Negotiations will now begin to agree terms and conditions for the disposal.
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