WORK on the redevelopment of the Burrell Collection is to finally come to a halt.
Last week we revealed that workers were still on-site at the £66 million refurbishment of the world-famous museum in Glasgow’s Pollok Park - despite Scottish ministers urging non-essential construction to come to an end.
Trade unions accused Glasgow City Council and Kier, the engineering giant managing the project, of putting lives at risk. The firm said they were following advice from ministers south of the border which said work on building sites can continue as long as workers follow strict social distancing rules.
But on Monday, ministers in Edinburgh published further construction sector guidance which said only building work essential to the welfare of the country in the fight against Covid-19 should be allowed to carry on.
All non-essential projects were told to cease immediately.
There were still workers on site yesterday, but a spokeswoman for Kier said they were now moving to ramp down work.
“Following the guidance issued by Scottish Government on 6 April, we will be closing all of our construction sites in Scotland that have been deemed non-essential,” she said.
“This will be done in a phased approach through to the end of the week to ensure sites are secure and safe when closed.
“We have engaged with all employees affected by the temporary site closures and would like to thank them for their co-operation and understanding during this time. We remain fully committed to our essential health and utilities contracts in Scotland, including the conversion of Scotland Event Campus in to NHS Louisa Jordan which supports the Scottish Government’s efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life, the arms length body who run the city’s museums and art galleries, said: “Following the further clarification of guidelines around construction sites,
Keir Group has confirmed work at The Burrell Collection is being wound down.”
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