Glasgow City Council to push for vape shop regulation after devastating Union Street fire

Glasgow City Council is set to push for greater regulations on vape shops and the storage of lithium-ion batteries following the Union Street fire.

Councillors will call on the Scottish Government to strengthen rules around the sale and storage of these products at the first full council meeting since the blaze, which is being held on Thursday.

The SNP, Labour and the Greens are all proposing motions which demand action to improve safety. Options suggested include enhanced licensing and planning regimes, increased fire safety requirements and clearer guidance on storage of vaping products.

Council leader Susan Aitken, SNP, wants councillors to back her plan to call on the Scottish Government to “explore bringing forward legislation on the greater regulation of vape products and the storage of lithium Ion batteries”.

Emergency services were called to a major blaze on Union Street near Glasgow Central Station. STV News

Her motion notes the council currently has “no regulatory, licensing or planning role in relation to vape products, other than those tobacco control functions which apply to the sale of all nicotine products”.

It also pledges to bring forward a new masterplan for the Central Station quarter, which would cover ongoing work, like the proposal to compulsory purchase the Egyptian Halls, as well as new projects to support the recovery of the area.

A Union Street fire recovery group has been established to bring together partners from the public and private sector as well as the city’s heritage community. The potential purchase of the Union Corner site will be considered by the group as well as “options for recovery and rebuilding… that are worthy of its importance to the city centre and the area’s historic character”, Cllr Aitken’s motion states.

She also wants the council to write to Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for Scotland, to seek UK Government funds to “match those already committed by the Scottish Government. Calls for the removal of VAT for the maintenance and development of heritage buildings would be reiterated if the motion is supported.

Bailie Christy Mearns, Greens, whose ward includes the city centre, has put forward a motion which notes “growing public concern regarding the safety and regulation of certain commercial premises, including those which sell vaping products”.

It calls for regulations to be reviewed and strengthened to ensure the sale of these products is “appropriate for high street settings” and that risks are minimised.

She wants the fire to be a “turning point” for Union Street and the surrounding area, with a recovery that is “not only swift but transformative, delivering a greener, safer and more inclusive city centre”.

Her motion also asks the council to consider if there are “opportunities to better integrate and share information across different regulatory and departmental ‘silos’ in respect of businesses who are not complying with their legal and financial responsibilities”, like planning, licensing and non-domestic rates.

Bailie Mearns will call for an exploration a masterplan for Union Street to include options for pedestrianisation of surrounding streets and developing a design guide for shopfronts in the area.

The Green councillor wants public realm design work on Gordon Street to be paused until the masterplan is completed, options for temporary animation of the gap site to be considered and opportunities for “future-proofing” the NCP multi-storey car park, on Mitchell Street, to be explored. Her motions suggests a “more positive use, such as affordable housing or open space”.

Cllr Thomas Rannachan will present Labour’s motion, which states “lithium-ion battery fire risks have implications for council operations, including cleansing activity, waste handling procedures, and the management of property within the council’s ownership or stewardship”.

He will request a report that reviews existing council activity relating to lithium-ion battery fire risk and sets out options for “enhancing fire prevention and emergency preparedness measures within older and heritage buildings that are owned or managed by the council”.

Cllr Rannachan wants the council’s chief executive to talk to City Property about whether “any additional non statutory guidance or good practice approaches may support consideration of lithium-ion battery fire safety issues when assessing tenant proposals, particularly within heritage or mixed use properties”.

All the motions acknowledge the investigation into the fire is ongoing, but there are concerns that vape products may have contributed to the fire.