ANGRY residents and business owners banned from accessing their premises inside the cordon around Glasgow School of Art, yesterday staged a protest to get into their homes, offices, shops and studios.
The affected buildings – including more than 30 homes – were evacuated after fire ripped through the Mackintosh Building on the night of June 15.
According to Glasgow City Council some parts of it are at risk of “sudden, unannounced, collapse” and it is being dismantled on safety grounds.
READ MORE: Glasgow School of Art sudden collapse is now 'likely'
However, affected locals are frustrated that they cannot gain even minimal access to their properties to retrieve possessions.
Garnethill Displaced Residents Group and Sauchiehall Street Inner Cordon Business yesterday circulated a Notice of Entry form demanding entry to their properties, but the council warned that anyone who tried to breach the cordon would be arrested.
Around 30 people took part in the protest around the barrier.
Angela Simpson, who has been out of her house for the past five weeks, said: “How would everybody like to be without their stuff for five weeks? Ten minutes is all we’re asking for – to get in the house to get some belongings.
“I have my bags, just want to open the bags and go. We don’t want to cause any trouble, we want to be peaceful. There’s no risk to life – it takes three seconds to get into the close.”
Gill Hutchison’s business, Biggars Music, is also inside the cordon and she said it was time the council listened: “We’ve asked Glasgow City Council and it’s fallen on deaf ears. It’s time they listened.
READ MORE: Art school contractor revealed to have history of fire safety failings
“It’s a shocking situation when they’re threatening people who are homeless with arrest, in a situation when absolutely no danger seems to befall the workers who are wandering around having cups of coffee – and they’re closer to the dangerous building than our buildings are.
“It’s time these people were listened to and shown some common decency and respect from the council and looked after properly.”
Iram Shafiq, 21, has not been able to get into the property she shares with her mother and three siblings for the past five weeks.
“I have a sister with autism and epilepsy and a brother with autism and they don’t understand what’s happened,” she said.
“We have lived there for over 12 years.
“We just want to get into our home for ten to 20 minutes just to get the essential stuff we need, put it in a bag and get out as soon as possible.”
Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said she had written to the council seeking supervised access for those affected.
She said: “There needs to be support for these people and what they’re going through and I believe there should be some form of supervised access.”
Glasgow City Council chief executive Annemarie O’Donnell said the cordon should not be breached until building control officers said the structures hit by the fire were no longer considered dangerous: “The building has suffered significant trauma, as a result the walls have moved in ways which will certainly lead to parts of the building collapsing.
READ MORE: Letters: Glasgow can turn art school fire into a positive
“That collapse could happen without warning,.”
Police Scotland added: “The building has been deemed dangerous by Glasgow City Council and anyone who enters the cordon is putting themselves at risk.
“If anyone enters the cordon they may find themselves arrested, however, this would be on the grounds of concern for their safety and in order to protect them.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here