A second politician has accused Renfrewshire Council of neglecting a historic Renfrew site which he claims could injure a member of the public.
Councillor John Gray is demanding council bosses take urgent action over the safety and deterioration of the Brown Institute in Renfrew.
The Scottish Conservative and Unionist councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead says he is growing increasingly worried about the state of the building in Canal Street, and he is not the first to have raised the issue.
The Paisley Daily Express reported in February that Labour councillor Jamie McGuire, who represents Renfrew North and Braehead, had also raised the safety issue of the listed building.
Councillor McGuire said at the time the building needed “knocked down” and that the cost of repairing it would be far too expensive.
And having lived in the town for 20 years, Councillor Gray says he is concerned at how the council have allowed the building to deteriorate into a “state of ruin”.
He is demanding that part of the building is boarded up with netting thrown over the front of the building to avoid any debris falling off the structure and possibly injuring anyone below.
He said: “I have been getting many complaints from concerned constituents about the ongoing state of the Brown Institute in Renfrew.
“Having been a resident of the town for two decades, I have been well aware of how this listed building has fallen into an increasingly poor state.
“Now as a councillor I am determined to get Renfrewshire Council to take some action.
“There are cracks appearing all over the place and there is a real danger that somebody could be injured by something from this building falling and hitting them.
“I would encourage the council to board up the most at risk parts of this buildings and throw a safety net over the front, to give residents reassurance.
“There is a rich history associated with the Brown Institute and it would be a crying shame if this was lost altogether.
“I hope Renfrewshire Council will heed my calls and get on top of this situation before it is too late.”
A council spokesperson said: “A recent structural engineering assessment advised the Brown Institute building does not present a safety concern to the public.
“There are ‘no entry’ notices in place at the building and following an inspection of the scaffolding, improvement works are being scheduled.
“Our regeneration team continue to look at options for historic buildings across Renfrewshire and commissioned structural engineering and quantity surveying assessments into the condition of the Brown Institute before considering the next steps with Historic Environment Scotland.”
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