Glasgow venue ABC "overrun with vermin and sewage" and likely to be demolished

Glasgow gig venue ABC looks set to be demolished, after Scotland’s public body in charge of historic buildings removed their objections.

The 2,500 capacity site was severely damaged in the fire that ravaged the Glasgow School of Art in summer 2018 and has remained shut ever since.

Historic Environment Scotland had been blocking plans to demolish the ABC, which is Grade C-listed, equivalent to Grade II in England and Wales, and calling for the majority of the building to be maintained including its front facade.

They have now removed their objections after a a new report saying the venue has “dramatically deteriorated” in the last two years.

According to Glasgow Live, a report by RM Consulting says that the building is in danger of collapsing and has been overrun by vermin and raw sewage.

A further engineering report by Will Rudd Davidson Ltd said that the temporary measures in place to keep the building up might not survive beyond this year and are too dangerous to be replaced.

Historical Environment Scotland have conceded: “It is clear to us that the likelihood of achieving a scheme of meaningful repair for the whole front elevation is low.

“Weighing the reduced merit of the building in its current condition against the clear requirement to demolish the severely-damaged auditorium… we no longer consider it proportionate to maintain our objection to the application for demolition.”