Residents and business owners prevented from returning to their properties after the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) fire are considering legal action as they say saving the building has been put before people’s needs.

A large safety cordon has been in place since the June 15 blaze, with work ongoing to stabilise and preserve what is left of the renowned Mackintosh building.

Solicitors at Govan Law Centre (GLC) say they are looking at potential cases against Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) and Kier Construction over their “abysmal” treatment of members of the local community.

Protesters following the Mackintosh Building fire
Business owners and residents protest at the lack of access to their properties (Lucinda Cameron/PA)

Lawyers, who met with community representatives on Monday, said 33 households have been displaced in Garnethill and 55 Sauchiehall Street businesses affected, with people refused entry to collect items including passports, car keys, medicines and clothes.

Owner of Biggars Music, Gill Hutchison, said she was in no doubt the Mackintosh building had been “primary in people’s focus”.

She told the Press Association: “We will need to wait until we get access to know exactly what our insurance position is.

“The truth is that a lot of people’s insurance will be capped and will not cover their losses. I am not expecting that our losses will be fully covered.

“I think that without a shadow of a doubt the building has been primary in people’s focus, rightly or wrongly, and as a result of that, residents and businesses have definitely had to move around the needs of the building.

“There’s been terrible distress caused, there has been loss of income for people whose businesses are run out of their homes, there’s been a whole raft of financial losses as a result of this, and that definitely needs to be addressed.”

Mike Dailly, solicitor advocate at GLC, said: “Ordinary residents and local businesses are suffering and have lost a lot of money. It’s unacceptable to be locked out of homes for so long.

“Residents and businesses no longer trust that the local authority is putting their needs first.

“The local authority exposes itself to judicial review and claims if it places the interests of the GSA before the community, and GLC will explore every avenue of challenge available to the local community.”

GSA director, Professor Tom Inns, said that enabling community members to return to their homes and businesses as soon as possible was the priority.

He said: “The shoring scaffolding on the east gable, which is critical to the stabilisation process, is due for completion in the next few days, and after this we hope very much that Glasgow City Council will reduce the size of the safety cordon on both Dalhousie Street and Sauchiehall Street.

“We have been in contact with groups representing the displaced residents and businesses keeping them updated on the progress of the stabilisation work, and we have also put individuals and businesses who have asked in direct contact with our insurers’ loss adjusters.

“The Glasgow School of Art is very much part of Glasgow and the Garnethill community. We stand ready to help as much as we can when the security cordon is reduced and residents and businesses are able to return to their homes and premises, and like all those affected we are keen this happens as soon as practically possible.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “The council has acted under Section 29 of the Building [Scotland] Act 2003 in order to protect life.

“Our priority remains getting residents and businesses back to their property safely.”