Save the Botanic Gardens Garage 				Press Release 26/12/07

International significance of unique Botanic Gardens Garage recognised by Historic Scotland.

The campaign group organised to save the Botanic Gardens Garage in Hillhead, Glasgow are delighted that Historic Scotland has upgraded its listed status from Category B to Category A, which thereby recognises the historic garage's national and even international architectural significance.  

The new listing description further states that the building is: 
"An exceptionally early and rare surviving example of a public motor garage, ... likely to be the earliest surviving example in Scotland. Public garages of this era, which comprise more than one storey are also very rare and this may be the only one of its type in Scotland.... Purpose-built public parking garages, which predate the 1920s, are extremely rare both nationally and internationally.... As one of the first of its type this building was innovative and the use of the distinctive decorative faience is of particular special interest."

The campaign to Save the Botanic Gardens Garage was organised in the summer of 2007 in response to an application by the owners, Arnold Clark, to demolish the garage and replace it with a new 4-storey structure incorporating flats, cottages, retail space, and a restaurant.  The campaign received enthusiastic support from both local residents and national bodies concerned with historic buildings, with over 150 letters of objection to the proposed demolition being sent to Glasgow City Council's Planning Department.  

Arnold Clark eventually withdrew their application to demolish the historic garage, but they have intimated that they will be submitting a new application in the near future, most likely involving demolition behind a retained faŤade.

However, given the new A-listed international importance of the building, the Save the Botanic Gardens Garage group feel that it would be premature to be thinking about just faŤade retention.  We argue that there is much more to the building that is of interest than just the faŤade, including the utilisation of historically significant engineering techniques and materials, the overall architectural design, and the building's social and architectural historic context, all of which appear to be confirmed by Historic Scotland's decision to place it in the A Category listing.  

Glasgow City Council has recently performed their own survey of the building, which confirmed the campaign group's original arguments that the building is structurally sound. 

While the change in listing category does not automatically prevent demolition, it does recognise the importance of the building, and national policy requires that every effort be made to make a viable alternative use of a listed building before it could be demolished.  In particular, the campaign group would like to see Arnold Clark offer the garage for sale to a restoring purchaser who might recognise the building's importance and significance, as required by national policy.

Save the Botanic Gardens Garage spokesperson Sam Maddra said: "I'm delighted by the decision to upgrade the Garage to Category A. This confirms what we've been arguing all along, that this is a unique historic building of special importance, and that every effort should be made to find a sympathetic use for the building that doesn't involve demolishing it. There's nothing else like it anywhere else in Scotland, and research so far has failed to find any other comparable buildings anywhere else in the UK or abroad. It's a fantastic piece of motoring and social history, and the west end of Glasgow would be much poorer were it to be allowed to be demolished."

The complete listing description can be viewed on Historic Scotland's website at:
http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/portal.hsstart?P_HBNUM=32935

For further information on the building and the campaign to save it see the website:
http://www.botanicgardensgarage.org

Contact Details:
Sam Maddra:
Tel. 07757500347
Email: info@botanicgardensgarage.org

Historic Scotland defines Category A  as : Buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type.
Category B are buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered.