A 143-year-old church in Glasgow’s West End is being demolished to make way for 32 flats.
The building that stood, then crumbled
Hillhead Baptist Church, designed by architect Thomas Lennox Watson in 1883, once anchored the neighborhood with its Greek-style columns and blonde sandstone facade. The structure now stands as a hollowed-out shell behind plywood barriers, its marble floors cracked and stained glass windows shattered.
No one has entered the building since 2004, when falling plaster forced its congregation to abandon it. A 2000 survey by Historic Scotland had identified severe structural problems—settlement issues, a flawed roof pressing down on the facade, and risks of masonry collapsing onto the street. Despite these warnings, no major repairs were made.
Chris Coleman-Smith, a director at Thomas Robinson Architects, stated that addressing the problems in 2000 might have prevented the current situation. “This project hasn’t happened overnight. It’s taken years,” he said.
The roof was removed in January 2022, a step Wemyss Properties described as an emergency measure for public safety. The developer did not seek listed building consent or install protective measures. Without the roof, the church’s interior was left exposed to the elements, speeding up its decay.
Related: Home Transforming & Renovation Ideas
David Cook, chief executive of the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, explained that removing the roof sealed the building’s fate. “Without that structure, it isn’t protected from the weather, and the entire stability is undermined. This makes it dangerous and harder to save, due to expenses and damage,” he said.
Taxes and the cost of preservation
Restoring historic buildings in the UK incurs a 20% VAT, while new construction often avoids the tax. This difference can push developers toward demolition.
Matt Loader, founding director of Loader Monteith Architects, acknowledged the financial pressures. “The fundamental issue that we are dealing with when it comes to existing buildings is the fiscal abomination that exists,” he said. “The tax system we operate within at the moment is completely bent away from protecting our heritage.”
Glasgow City Council has called on the UK government to lower VAT on renovations and introduce other tax incentives. A spokesperson stated that successful conservation requires “viable economic uses” for historic buildings, adding that planning policy, funding, and partnerships must work together to protect them.
A resident watching the site from behind a chain-link fence expressed regret. “It was such an important part of the community, but it feels like we’ve been forced to watch it rot.”
