Buildings of Glasgow: Plans to transform B-listed East End building could be scrapped due to lack of cash
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City councillors had approved the use of £250,000 from a UK Government fund for the revamp of the grade B-listed Whitevale Baths.
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Hide AdThe former baths on Whitevale Street is an architectural gem, which opened in 1902 but now needs extensive renovation work. The council has been working with Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and children’s charity PEEK to bring the building back into use.
But, despite the initial allocation of cash, officials say they have been unable to find the rest of the required funding to support the project.
Instead the cash from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be shared between three other city schemes. These are the transformation of the Briggait Market Halls, new community spaces at Water Row and the revamp of former changing rooms at Queen’s Park recreation ground.
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Hide AdA report by council officials states: “During the due diligence and grant agreement stage of the programme, it became apparent that funding offers would require to be withdrawn from one of the projects: Whitevale Baths.
“Whitevale Baths has been unable to progress their project due to a funding gap and an inability to establish a funding package that would cover the entire cost of the project.”
The allocation will “be unable to be drawn down and spent within the timeframe required and therefore the… funding offer has had to be withdrawn”.
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Hide AdCouncillors will be asked to reallocate funds at a meeting on Thursday. Overall, £3.6m of funding needs to be spent by March 31, 2025. It was initially to be shared between six projects.
“As a result of having unallocated contingency, and the requirement to withdraw funding offers from one of the six projects, a total of £454,577 is available for redistribution within the programme,” the council report adds.
Officials have recommended the available money is “distributed amongst the remaining approved projects, all of which have indicated that they require additional funding to complete their projects as originally planned or, have the ability to enhance their project with additional works”.
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Hide AdWork at Water Row to fit-out ground floor space of a new housing development for community and business uses would receive an extra £150,000, taking its grant to almost £794,000.
The redevelopment of the Briggait Market Halls into space for events and creative industries would get £267,000 to increase its allocation to £800,000.
Environmental group South Seeds’ work to revamp the former changing rooms at Queen’s Park recreation ground would be boosted by an extra £37,577.
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