Crumbling historic school site sold off for affordable housing

A historic school site is to be sold off by Glasgow City Council for affordable housing.

Plans have been revealed for the B-listed Haghill Primary school and schoolhouse in Dennistoun to be purchased by Milnbank Housing Association.

The council has already started demolition of the crumbling school building in Marwick Street, which closed about 17 years ago in June 2004.

On Thursday councillors will decide whether to approve the principle for an ‘off market disposal’ of the property to Milnbank Housing Association during a committee meeting.

The potential housing development is to keep some of the architectural features of the original property according to a council paper.

A council report said: “The purchaser’s proposals will include retention of some of the original architectural façade with sandstone/materials from the demolished building being re-purposed for inclusion in the new build residential development, subject to conditions agreed with the planning department.”

The site covers 1.37 acres and sits within the Dennistoun Conservation Area.

The red sandstone three-storey school and two-storey school house were designed by A Lindsay Miller in 1904.

The school was advertised for sale in 2017 and an offer was received from Spectrum Properties for the development of homes on the site. But negotiations fell through after a “failure to agree a figure for the demolition of the existing buildings” according to the council report.

Milnbank Housing Association and the council are both paying for the current demolition taking place.

The council report said the housing association has been interested in buying the site since 2006 but plans were help-up due to the cost of the redevelopment and lack of grant funding.

If councillors agree to the plan at the Contracts and Property Committee meeting this week, negotiations will kick off to agree terms and conditions for the ‘off market disposal.’