It was a grim sight when residents were finally allowed to return to their properties near the fire-ravaged Glasgow School of Art after a 10-week absence. Bins were left unemptied, food was rotting in fridges, mail had piled up behind doors and flats were infested with flies.
Many residents have been unable to access their homes since a safety cordon was set up after the blaze on June 15 which destroyed the historic Mackintosh building. Some were given seconds to grab some belongings and run.
One woman told the Sunday Herald she didn’t have time to put on trousers and, to make matters worse, her glasses broke amid the chaos, leaving her unable to see where she was going. She has had to set up home elsewhere and has no plans to return to Sauchiehall Street.
Some residents have been told by insurance companies that costs incurred by displacement won’t be covered because the property is not fire damaged.
Businesses owners have also lost out. Many staff have been laid off and stock has perished. Some owners were met with an overpowering stench of rotting food when they opened the doors yesterday.
The clean-up operation will be a huge undertaking for both business owners and residents.
But yesterday was only the beginning for businesses. They will have to encourage lost customers to come back and that won’t be easy while the area is still a building site.
It’s time for residents and businesses to be given more support as they attempt to rebuild their lives and livelihoods after the 10-week shutout.
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