Concerns have been raised over Renfrewshire Council’s plans to carry out repairs at 1 High Street, Paisley, with questions being asked about whether the work will go far enough to protect the building’s future.
A member of the Paisley Photographs community has highlighted the Council’s decision to step in and carry out works at the property after an amenity notice served on the owners expired a few weeks ago.
The notice covered the removal of vegetation growing on the building and the removal of graffiti, with the aim of improving its external appearance.
While these works should help make the property more presentable, questions remain over whether addressing its appearance alone is enough to protect the building from further deterioration.
The building suffered a serious fire in November 2023, and notes on photographs I recorded at the time highlighted a hole had burned through the roof.
A subsequent look at the property on Google or Apple Maps today 12/10/26 appears to show the section of roof affected by the blaze, raising questions about whether the damage has been properly addressed and what condition the building’s structure is now in.
Surely, if the Council is stepping in to carry out repairs, the opportunity should also be taken to establish what needs to be done to protect the building itself?
Removing vegetation and cleaning graffiti may improve the appearance of the property from the street, but these measures will not necessarily resolve any underlying problems caused by the fire or prolonged exposure to the elements.
Water entering through a damaged roof can cause further deterioration to a building over time, potentially increasing the cost and complexity of any future restoration work.
The concern is that, once again, attention could be focused on making a historic building look more presentable from the outside without fully addressing the issues that threaten its long-term survival.
Paisley has a rich architectural heritage, but protecting that heritage requires more than simply improving the appearance of buildings that have fallen into disrepair.
The key question now is whether the planned works at 1 High Street will be limited to the items listed in the amenity notice, or whether the condition of the roof and any damage resulting from the November 2023 fire will also be investigated.
Is this an opportunity to do more than just tidy up the outside of the building and take meaningful steps towards safeguarding its future?
The people of Paisley deserve to know what is being done to protect the town’s historic buildings before further deterioration puts their future at greater risk.
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