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Busy Glasgow street reopens to public after Union Street fire

News imageBBC Gordon Street. The cordon is on the left and shops lines the street. BBC
The cordon on Gordon Street had been in place for over two months

A busy Glasgow street partially closed after the fire on Union Street earlier this year has re-opened to the public.

Pavements along the north side of Gordon Street have been blocked off since a devastating blaze wrecked a B-listed Victorian building on 8 March.

They re-opened at 13:00, meaning people will no longer have to use detours, such as those along Drury Street or Renfield Lane.

Glasgow City Council previously said the cordon covering Union Street and Gordon Street would remain in place until July, an announcement which was met with dismay by local businesses who said they were losing trade.

Demolition work on the damaged building is still continuing, with the cordon still in place due to safety fears over the work.

Councillor Angus Millar, the convener for City Centre Recovery at the council, said the Gordon Street change would make the city centre more accessible.

He said: "It's absolutely necessary for the vitality of the city centre that people can see that it's open for business, and the reopening of these key pedestrian routes following the Union Street fire helps that.

"Given the proximity to Central Station, these are among the busiest pavements in the country and this will be welcomed by those forced to take detours to and from the station."

Loss in trade for local businesses

Businesses told BBC Scotland News last month that pedestrians needing to use other routes to walk from Glasgow Central Station to the main shopping area on Buchanan Street was causing a huge loss in trade.

Controlled access was made available to affected food businesses on Gordon Street this week to allow them to remove any spoiled food and inspect and clean premises ahead of reopening.

The council's refuse and environmental health teams also attended to offer support.

The local authority also said progress has been made on the stabilisation of the gable wall on the western side of the fire-affected site, with work to fill voids on the wall set to begin soon.

The huge fire started in a vape shop on Union Street, with the B-listed Victorian building known as Union Corner collapsing several hours later as flames spread.