Paisley will lose one of its “outstanding” architectural gems as the demolition of the former Territorial Army (TA) building gets underway.
The fate of the B-listed structure in High Street has been sealed, bringing to an end what has been described as a “sad and sorry saga” for the town.
Renfrewshire Council served a dangerous building notice on JR Construction, the owner of the site, before Christmas after the removal of the majority of the façade retention scheme.
It stipulated the company had three weeks to begin the process of either reinstating the scaffolding or knocking down the remains of the frontage. It has opted for the latter option.
A stunned Councillor Eddie Devine, who represents Paisley Southeast, lamented the demise of what he described as a once “terrific looking building” designed by renowned architect Thomas Graham Abercrombie.
He said: “I’m astonished that it’s gone this far. Most people will think this has been the outcome this company has been looking for all along.
“Why did they take down the structure that was holding it up, other than to weaken it? I’m not a building surveyor but it just seems crazy.
“It was a terrific looking building because of the architect that built it and that will be it gone. It’s been a sad and sorry saga. It’s something I’ve grown up with and it’s now going to be an empty space. Yet again Paisley will lose one of its outstanding buildings.”
The local authority previously said the owner removed the support system in early October and “ignored” four formal notices to reinstate it. This left it with “no choice”, it added, but to serve a dangerous building notice in the interests of public safety.
Standing between Coats Memorial Church and Paisley Museum, the TA building was damaged by a fire in March 2020. JR Construction was given the green light to build accommodation for up to 338 students at the site in October of that year.
Last year it submitted an application for listed building consent for the demolition of the retained façade. The proposal was met with outrage in the community and a petition launched by retired conservation officer Duncan Macintosh in opposition gathered more than 1,000 signatures.
The request was subsequently withdrawn the day before it was due to be considered by the planning and climate change policy board in early December.
However, despite the efforts of campaigners, including members of Paisley West and Central Community Council, the future of the structure has not been secured.
Councillor Will Mylet, who represents Paisley East and Central, said: “I’m going to be writing to the local government minister, who is responsible for planning, because we really need to look at strengthening the legislation.
“There’s no safe building in Scotland any more. We stand to lose all of our history and heritage through this. I’ll be working with the council to find out what other buildings are potentially at risk and what can be done before we get to this stage.
“There’s been a real strength of feeling among the elected members I’ve spoken to, they all feel the same – they don’t want to see these buildings left to go to rack and ruin any longer.”
A council spokesperson said: “Following the decision of the owners of the private building to remove the façade support system, the council had no choice but to serve a dangerous building notice (DBN) on the former TA Building in Paisley to maintain public safety.
“The DBN set out two options for the owners of the site, namely to reinstate the façade retention system or carry out demolition works within 21 days.
“Unfortunately, the private owner has chosen to start demolition works rather than reinstate the façade support system – which was the council’s preference.”
JR Construction was contacted for comment.
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