Glasgow's People's Palace must be preserved for posterity – Scotsman comment

National Lottery Heritage Fund is expected to provide millions to revamp the People’s Palace

The People's Palace in Glasgow is an important part of Scotland's built heritage (Picture: Danny Lawson/PA)

For a city that has seen too much of its built heritage go up in flames – from Carnbooth House hotel and the Tontine building last year to Glasgow School of Art – the loss of the historic People’s Palace would be a tragedy too far.

So the news that Glasgow Life, which runs the city’s culture and sports, has secured £850,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help create a “dynamic, community-led museum” – in keeping with its traditions – and revamp the associated Winter Gardens is a tremendous fillip, particularly because it paves the way for a further award of up to £7.5 million.

With Glasgow City Council having provided £2.9m and expected to add another £11m, the project is well on the way to meeting the expected total cost of nearly £40m. The People’s Palace is “one of Glasgow’s most treasured spaces”, as Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, rightly said, and precisely the sort of cultural asset that our generation should cherish so it can be passed on, in good condition, for future generations to enjoy.