Keep Queen's Park Glasshouse
Open and Council-Owned

The petition

We demand that Glasgow City Council keep the Queen's Park Glasshouse free and open to the public and in Council ownership.

GCC announced last week that the heritage landmark building will be closing in August due to "unsustainable costs" without any public consultation, without any long-term plan for the building or its maintenance, and without an Equality Impact Assessment.

If the Glasshouse is closed, the building will deteriorate and attract vandalism, as has already happened to other important buildings in Glasgow. The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust's estimated £3.5 million cost of renovation would in time increase exponentially. Closure is more "unsustainable" than keeping the site open.

There has been no Equality Impact Assessment undertaken to consider residents with disabilities, the elderly, or children and parents who rely on the toilets – the only facility inside the park. This must be completed as a legal requirement before any decision can even be considered.

The Council therefore should:

• Halt the closure and reinstate staff and maintenance plans
• Keep the Queen's Park Glasshouse and all glasshouses free and open to the public
• Commit to undertake a full and transparent public consultation for any proposed changes to its use, as well as Equality Impact Assessments
• Reaffirm its commitment to public ownership and oversight for Queen's Park Glasshouse and other buildings in our parks

The Glasshouse must remain in Council ownership where councillors are democratically accountable to Glasgow residents, ensuring we have a say in the future of this valued part of our city's heritage.