The site of the former Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice was reported ablaze on the evening of 5 August
Responding to calls of a fire in the derelict building on Carlton Place, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) personnel arrived to find the roof of the four-storey building well alight. The efforts to extinguish the blaze included the use of a height appliance and went on well into the night, but by morning the fire was under control with only one appliance remaining to dampen down any hotspots.
As reported by BBC News, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 20:20 on Monday, 5 August, 2024 we were called to a building fire on Carlton Place in Glasgow.
"Emergency services attended and there were no reports of injuries. The fire is being treated as wilful and inquiries are ongoing.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales palliative care hospice moved to new premises in 2018, since when the historic B-listed building was left unoccupied. It had been subject to some demolition work as part of the process of redeveloping the site to create new homes.
This was the second suspected arson attack on the building this year, with five teenagers needing to be rescued from a fire at the site in January.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, MSP Paul Sweeney called on the council to put more pressure on the owners of the city’s historic buildings to protect them from fire. Explaining that without the proper safeguards, these listed buildings can quickly become at risk in the matter of just a few years, he said:
“There was a fire in January in the same building. It has been used as a squat by vulnerable people and also associated with some of the anti-social behaviour that goes on in the area.
“I know the council says the responsibility is with the owners. They began demolition of buildings at the back and left it exposed with no manned security, which left it vulnerable.
“I would like to see the planning powers used more effectively. The council can carry out repairs and then bill the owners or take on a Compulsory Purchase Order.
“This Georgian terrace could be a real showpiece for Glasgow. We should be celebrating it not be embarrassed by it. I would like to see the council being more aggressively pro-active in tackling owners.”
SFRS crews on site after the blaze informed local council officials that the building was not thought to be in a dangerous state.
Police Scotland’s investigation into the circumstances of the fire continues.