Glasgow Botanic Gardens to begin charging for entry for the first time in over 100 years in bid to close budget gap

Following a dramatic Glasgow City Council meeting yesterday (February 16) in which Glasgow politicians desperately tried to plug a £49 million gap in the budget - a fee is set to be introduced to enter the glasshouse at the Botanic Gardens.

This is one of several decisions made by Glasgow Life, a Council owned charity that manages all culture, arts, and events spaces that are under public ownership, to generate funds.

It is hoped that the new fee will help raise £185,000 for the city.

Previously, anyone in the city who wanted to enter could do so free of charge, part of a long Glasgow tradition of access to the city’s park facilities, civic buildings, galleries and museums without a fee.

Glasgow’s botanic gardens were created by Glasgow’s leading botanist of the 18th century Thomas Hopkirk. Receiving support from the University of Glasgow, the gardens were built at the end of Sauchiehall Street in 1817 - at the time this was the edge of the city.

The Botanic Gardens were run by the Royal Botanical Institution of Glasgow - who worked with the University of Glasgow to supply teaching aids, as well as a supply of plants for medical and botanical studies.

The gardens passed from hand to hand, being led by eminent botanical scholars from the University of Glasgow and flourishing under their guidance. The amount of plants in the garden had increased by magnitudes, so it was decided a new site would be built west of the city on the banks of the River Kelvin. In 1842, the Botanical Gardens opened where they are now.

Members of the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow had a right to free entrance - while the public were admitted only at weekends and had to each pay a fee of a penny.

Glasgow Corporation, the progenitor of Glasgow City Council, took over the Gardens in 1891, agreeing that they should continue as a Botanic Garden and maintain links with the University.

Other Glasgow Life services to be affected by the recent cuts include:

• Tramway to reduce opening hours to save £73,000
• Kelvingrove Bandstand funding for free events removed to save £33,000
• Reducing engagement and learning in Glasgow museums to save £338,000
• Mitchell Library opening hours to be reduced from 60 to 54 hours per week to save £115,000
• Swimming Pool hours to be cut and health suites to not re-open in bid to save £1.08m
• Cutting sport and physical development programmes to save £475,000
• A service fee for Glasgow Life to raise £3.5m

For the full list of cuts to be taken by Glasgow City Council over the next financial year - take a look at our article explaining yesterday’s meeting.