Possilpark Fire: Social landlord hits out at 'misinformation' campaign around fire hit Glasgow flats

The landlord of a tenement flat in Possilpark that is thought to have been set ablaze following a misinformation campaign has hit out at those responsible.

NG Homes confirmed the fire at the property on Stonyhurst Street, which is currently undergoing refurbishment after 20 years of being derelict ahead of its being used for affordable housing.

They thanked fire and police crews for their efforts and swift response and said they are “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as enquiries continue.”

However, they also responded to claims regarding the future use of the homes, calling them false.

A spokesperson said: “We are aware that disinformation has circulated regarding the future use of the homes and would once again stress that these claims are false. The buildings are being refurbished to provide much-needed affordable homes and, as we have previously stated, these properties will be allocated in line with our Allocations Policy and Scottish housing legislation from our existing housing list.

“As a registered social landlord, we do not allocate housing to people who are not legally eligible for it, and all applications are assessed in accordance with the relevant legal requirements.

“The extent of the damage is still being assessed, and it is too early to confirm the impact on project timescales.

“Our focus remains on supporting the investigation and progressing the delivery of these much-needed homes for the Possilpark community as quickly as possible.

Local MSP Paul Sweeney was one of those who attended the scene on Sunday evening. In a video posted to social media, he called the incident “completely outrageous”.

In the video, he said: “After several months of disinformation about what’s happening with the Stonyhurst Street tenements here in Possilpark, we’ve now had an incident of wilful fire raising in the end close, where someone has clearly climbed the scaffolding here and poured an accelerant onto the roof and set fire to it.

“Thankfully the fire service appear to have caught the blaze and extinguished it before it could do serious structural damage but this is completely outrageous.

“After 20 years of these tenements sitting derelict, finally, after much work by myself and other elected representatives, we secured nearly £3million in government investment to bring these tenements back, renovate them so they can be used in the community in a city with a housing emergency.”

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Glasgow City Council's convener for housing and development, also took to social media to blast those responsible.

He said: "If this was a deliberate arson attack, then all that these thugs and criminals have achieved is to extend the wait that local people will now have for the house moves they desperately need."

Police Scotland said that they are set to investigate the blaze enquiries to establish the full circumstances.

A spokesperson said: “Around 5.30pm on Sunday, 6 September, we received a report of a fire in an empty building on Stoneyhurst Street in Glasgow.

“Emergency services attended and the fire was put out by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. No one was injured.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “One fire appliance and on high-reach vehicle continue to work on Stonyhurst Street, Glasgow, to dampen down any remaining hotspots.

“At its height, six fire appliances and specialist resources were mobilised to the area.

“Firefighters worked to extinguish a fire affecting the fourth floor of a tenement building, after the alarm was raised at 4.48pm on Sunday, 6 September.

“There were no reported casualties, and crews remain in attendance.”