Businesses call for urgent support to rebuild in aftermath of Glasgow fire
Glasgow Central high level station will remain closed for the rest of the work as safety checks continue around blaze site
Business leaders have called for an urgent package of support for city centre traders whose premises have been devastated by Sunday’s blaze.
As the city recoils from the impact of the fire, the Federation of Small Businesses has called on Scotland’s largest local authority to introduce a range of measures to help those businesses impacted.
Meanwhile, as safety checks continue around the blaze site, the Glasgow Central high level station will remain closed for the rest of the week given the instability of the remaining facade on Union Corner, much of which collpased in the fire. Lower level platforms will open today (Wednesday)
FSB said Glasgow City Council should offer hardship rates relief, similar to that offered to firms affected by the June 2018 fire at the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building, and the fire in March that year which laid waste to a block of businesses, including Victoria’s nightclub, on the city’s Sauchiehall Street.
It is understood those packages were financed by the Scottish Government.
Hisashi Kuboyama, FSB’s Glasgow development manager, said it was offering practical help to companies, including specialist advice on insurance issues, but said both the council and the Scottish Government had to provide support if needed.
Meanwhile, more than £150,000 has been raised in public donations to support businesses affected.
Mr Kuboyama said: “The business owners affected are feeling devastated, but they are resilient and very keen to rebuild and restart. We need to do all we can to help them do that.
“We are asking Glasgow City Council to look at a range of measures, including hardship rates relief, to support the large number of businesses who are being affected.
“Given the scale of damage and disruption, it is important the Scottish Government also stands ready to offer financial support should the impact prove to be long term.”
First Minister John Swinney earlier said that millions of pounds would be freed up to support the local authority in rebuilding the city centre following the fire.
The FSB also said local authority support should be offered for small businesses who need to relocate following the fire, which started in a vape shop on Union Street.
Mr Kuboyama added: “Many of these businesses will need practical help in the days and weeks ahead. That might mean help to find suitable new premises through the council’s City Property organisation or speeding up licensing and planning processes to ensure they can quickly get back to work
“By ensuring this kind of support is in place, the council can make a huge difference to these businesses as they look to bounce back.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said its officials were “exploring all avenues” to see what rates relief will be made available for affected businesses, with advisers from its business growth team on hand to speak to traders.
He added: “Conversations have already taken place with a number of affected traders and representatives of the business community with more details to be published in the near future, to be updated as the situation develops.”
Network Rail said it will not be possible to reopen the high level part of Central Station given ongoing safety assessments of the Union Corner site.
The low level platforms of Central will open today (Wednesday).
Route director Ross Moran said: “We are grateful to Scottish Fire and Rescue teams who have been working tirelessly to contain the fire on the Union Corner site.
“Unfortunately, further work is required to ensure the high level station is safe for trains to operate. Our priority is to make sure that we can reopen Glasgow Central as soon as it is safe to do so and we will continue to work with emergency services, the local council and our train operators to restore services.
“We want to reassure passengers that we are doing everything we can to open the high level station, but we must enable the emergency services and Glasgow City Council to complete their critical work to secure the Union Corner site and make it safe.”
More detail is emerging about the premises that burst into flames on Sunday, before the fire spread through the building and around the corner onto Gordon Street.
The vape shop at 105 Union St has had several uses over the years. It was previously home to the Wimpey takeaway chain, before becoming a branch of the Money Shop. It was also occupied by the William Hill bookmakers, but its lease was terminated in October 2020, after which it lay empty until the vape shop began trading.
According to the Scottish Assessors’ Association database, the owners of the building at 105 Union Street is a firm called Afton Estates Limited.
Filings with Companies House show the company, founded in 2001, has tangible assets worth nearly £10 million. It has two directors, husband and wife, Michael and Margaret Tasker, of Edinburgh.
Mr Tasker, 59, is also a director of Royal Forth Yacht Club, based at Granton Harbour. He served as commodore of the club when it organised a Parade of Sail to mark the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The Companies House filings detail that Afton Estates is part of the Afton Group, a second generation family business which owns a range of commercial and residential properties in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, as part of its portfolio.
Planning records maintained by the City of Edinburgh Council show those premises include a commercial property in Edinburgh’s Morrison Street which was formerly home to the Atelier restaurant.
Mr and Mrs Tasker, 57, are the sole directors of the Afton Group holding company, which is ultimately controlled by an entity known as the Colin Tasker 1v Trust. Mr Tasker has been contacted for comment by The Scotsman.
Meanwhile, calls are intensifying for tighter safeguards on shops that sell vapes, with the smoking devices powered by lithium batteries, which are designed to be highly resistant to water and have been linked to serious fires in workplaces and residential buildings.
Last night, Shetland Islands Council introduced a ban on the indoor storage and charging of electrically powered bikes and scooters, which are fitted with the batteries, on its premises, including schools.
Amid the ongoing discussion around tougher safety measures and regulation for vape shops, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), said there was clear legislation and guidance around the storage of lithium batteries.
All businesses which sell tobacco and vape products must register with The Scottish Government, but there is no listing for those who rented the shop at 105 Union Street.
The union’s media officer, David Williams, said that while it could not comment on the specific incident in Glasgow, there were rules in place around the way retailers and other organisations should look after the batteries.
Mr Williams said: “When advising our members on this, we refer to legislation and Health and Safety Executive guidance with regard to the storage of flammable materials, specifically class 9, which is the group vape batteries belong to.
“There are defined conditions when it comes to storage, especially around the temperatures of the environment that the employer/owner should adhere to.
“Additionally, we provide our health and safety reps with a checklist, which has a specific section on fire precautions and the storage of flammable materials with further guidance available on an ad-hoc basis.”
Earlier, First Minister John Swinney paid tribute to firefighters and other emergency services who attended the scene
Mr Swinney committed to support the rebuild of the area, telling MSPs in Holyrood: “Above all else, let me be clear today: the Scottish Government will stand with the city of Glasgow as it recovers from the fire.
“Given the significant cost the city faces, we will back those costs with cash.
“To get that work started, a ministerial oversight board has been established, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
“We will rebuild, we will restore, and Glasgow will flourish again.”