It’s quite rare to get good news about the buildings in Glasgow – usually, all we get is a pile of rubble on the ground or orange flames in the sky signalling the end of another part of the city’s built heritage. But this week, we honestly, genuinely, got a bit of good news about a building that’s been at the centre of a struggle for survival. The only slight downer is that there are signs of danger too. You didn’t think the positivity could last did you?

But let’s do the good bit first. The Scottish Government has decided that the Vogue cinema in the north of Glasgow, which was threatened with demolition (indeed, the demolition had already started) is worthy of being saved and should be protected. Historic Environment Scotland had already ruled in June last year that the building should be listed but the owners, Allied Vehicles, appealed, there was a hearing on behalf of the government, and the decision was issued this week: the cinema should be listed, it should be protected, it cannot be demolished. The building stays.

This is good news for several reasons. It protects a piece of historic architecture in a part of Glasgow – Possilpark – that’s seen a lot of change, decline and neglect. It also recognises that, while the Vogue may not be the finest building ever, it is one of the last examples of architect James McKissack’s work in cinemas in the 1930s and that makes it worthy of preserving. And perhaps most importantly, it means that if the owners want to develop the site, and it appears they do, they will have to incorporate the original cinema into their plans.

That this is possible – keeping the cinema and developing the site at the same........

© Herald Scotland