Turning Point Scotland rent and dilapidations dispute with Glasgow City Property, Glasgow 2026

Key Points

• Turning Point Scotland, a long-running drug and alcohol crisis service in Glasgow, says it faces closure after Glasgow City Property proposed large rent increases and issued a substantial dilapidations claim for its former 218 Bath Street premises.
• Reported rent proposals for the Tradeston crisis centre would rise from about £65,000 per year to around £131,000 per year, according to legal representatives acting for a service user.
• For the closed 218 Bath Street service, City Property Glasgow Investments (CPGI) initially issued a dilapidations schedule totalling £805,322, later reduced to approximately £690,000, which the charity calls “wholly disproportionate”.
• A client supported by Govan Law Centre has taken the matter to the Court of Session, arguing the shift to commercial rent terms was unlawful and discriminatory against disabled people, and that no equality impact assessment or consultation took place.
• City Property Glasgow, an arms-length external organisation (ALEO) owned by Glasgow City Council, says it cannot comment in detail while legal proceedings are ongoing and describes dilapidations schedules as standard commercial lease practice.
• The Scottish Government says it cannot intervene directly in contract disputes but has urged Glasgow City Council to help find a resolution and has highlighted new alcohol and drugs funding for frontline services.

Glasgow (Glasgow Express) July 31, 2026 – A drug and alcohol crisis service that has operated in the city for more than 30 years says it is “dangerously close” to shutting down after its landlord, City Property Glasgow, proposed rent rises and pursued a large dilapidations claim linked to its former premises.

Turning Point Scotland (TPS) runs a 16‑bed residential rehab centre in Tradeston and has provided support to between 8,000 and 12,000 people at any one time, including people with drug and alcohol dependencies, disabled people and those experiencing homelessness. The charity says the costs now being sought by City Property are “well beyond the funding provided to deliver services” and cannot be absorbed without endangering provision.

What rent increases are being proposed for Turning Point Scotland’s crisis centre?

As reported by staff at the Glasgow Times, a woman supported by the service is taking court action in a bid to prevent rent hikes that she says threaten a rehab centre that “saved her life”. uk/local/govan/">Govan Law Centre, acting on her behalf, said City Property Glasgow has “imposed” commercial rent terms on the charity that it cannot afford.

Legal representatives told the court that the rent for the Tradeston premises is proposed to rise from £65,000 per year to £131,000 per year, effectively doubling the annual cost. They argue this change in policy was unlawful, discriminated against disabled people in the city, and was adopted without an equality impact assessment or consultation.

Turning Point Scotland’s chief executive, Neil Richardson, said the property costs being sought are “outwith traditional commissioning practices” and that charities delivering essential public services should not be expected to absorb financial risks they cannot sustain.

What is the dilapidations claim relating to 218 Bath Street?

Separately, Turning Point Scotland is in dispute with City Property Glasgow Investments (CPGI) over a dilapidations claim for its former 218 Bath Street service, which closed in February 2024 after Glasgow’s health and social care partnership reduced the tender for the frontline service.

As reported by Civil Society, CPGI initially issued a schedule totalling £805,322 for “extensive disrepair and rent arrears”, later reducing the figure to around £690,000 following review. Turning Point Scotland described even the revised sum as “wholly disproportionate” and warned that every pound diverted to meet such claims is taken away from frontline services.

The charity said it invested more than £1.2m in maintenance and improvements at the property over the years, exceeding the funding provided, and questioned the legitimacy of imposing a large dilapidations charge on a building owned and supplied by the local authority.

A CPGI spokesperson told Civil Society that issuing a terminal dilapidations schedule is “standard and routine” in commercial lease management, and that negotiations with the charity’s appointed surveyor are ongoing.

How has the dispute reached the courts?

The rent dispute over the Tradeston crisis centre has been raised in the Court of Session by a Turning Point client, supported by Govan Law Centre. The client says the decision to impose commercial rent and lease terms was unlawful and discriminated against her and other disabled people in Glasgow.

Govan Law Centre stated:

“It is our client’s position that this change in policy was unlawful and discriminated against her and other disabled people in the city. There was no equality impact assessment and no consultation before policy changes were decided.”

It added that the fact City Property is an ALEO of Glasgow City Council “does not exempt it from public law duties”.

City Property Glasgow said in a short statement that it is aware of the legal proceedings and, given the formal process, would be unable to comment further until the matter is concluded.

What do Turning Point Scotland and partners say about the impact on services?

Neil Richardson, chief executive of Turning Point Scotland, said:

“For more than a year, we have worked constructively with partners to find a sustainable solution that protects these vital services and the people who rely on them.”

He added:

“This is not about the quality or value of the services we provide. The property costs being sought are well above the funding provided to deliver these services and are outwith traditional commissioning practices.”

Turning Point Scotland warned that both its drug and alcohol services in Glasgow now face jeopardy due to escalating costs from City Property, which manages the council’s property portfolio. The charity said the proposed new costs are “well beyond the funding provided to deliver services”.

Govan Law Centre said the closure of Turning Point would have a “grave impact” on the city, describing its services over the years as vital.

What is the Scottish Government’s position?

Alcohol and drugs minister Maree Todd said the Scottish Government cannot intervene in any contract dispute, but has met with Turning Point Scotland and Glasgow City Council to seek a resolution that safeguards the continuation of critical services.

She said:

“I am aware of challenges facing this important service and have met the Turning Point chief executive and representatives from Glasgow City Council to seek to come to a resolution that safeguards the continuation of critical services for vulnerable people.”

Todd added that she had written to the leader of Glasgow City Council to seek the council’s support in encouraging all parties to identify a constructive way forward and to explore urgent referral to an independent mediation process. She highlighted record funding of more than £160m in 2026–27 for the new long-term Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan and a new Alcohol and Drugs Fund providing £36.9m to frontline services.

Explore More Local Glasgow News

Tartan Lodge Withdraws Hostel Expansion Plans Dennistoun 2026

George Square revamp enters final phase in Glasgow 2026

Background: How did this dispute over City Property Glasgow’s approach develop?

City Property Glasgow is an arms-length external organisation (ALEO) owned by Glasgow City Council, managing a large commercial property portfolio on behalf of the council and other public bodies. In recent years, multiple tenants, including arts groups at Trongate 103 and social care providers such as Turning Point Scotland, have raised concerns about steep rent increases and large dilapidations claims.

Govan Law Centre has publicly criticised what it describes as an “aggressive commercial approach” by City Property towards Glasgow charities, including renewing or terminating leases on full commercial rent terms and pursuing substantial refurbishment costs under dilapidation clauses.

Turning Point Scotland’s 218 Bath Street service, which supported women in the justice system under contract with the council, was decommissioned and closed in February 2024. After vacating, the charity was presented with a dilapidations schedule initially totalling £805,322, later revised to around £690,000. The charity has disputed the legitimacy and proportionality of the claim, noting its long-term investment in the property and the public nature of the service.

The current rent dispute centres on the Tradeston crisis centre, where Turning Point Scotland has operated for more than three decades. Legal action brought by a service user alleges that the shift to commercial rent terms was adopted without proper public law safeguards, including equality impact assessment and consultation, and that it disproportionately affects disabled people reliant on the service.

Prediction: How could this development affect vulnerable service users and the wider social care sector in Glasgow?

If the rent increases and dilapidations claims are upheld without adjustment, Turning Point Scotland has warned that its Glasgow crisis centre could close, directly affecting thousands of people who rely on its drug, alcohol, disability and homelessness support each year. Service users facing addiction and complex needs could lose access to a rare 16‑bed residential rehab placement, at a time when drug-related deaths in Scotland remain among the highest in Europe and Glasgow continues to record some of the worst rates in the country.

Beyond Turning Point Scotland, the case may influence how other charities and social enterprises assess the financial risk of occupying council-owned or council-controlled property under commercial lease terms. If City Property Glasgow’s approach is seen as a model for other ALEOs or local authority property companies, not-for-profit providers may face higher occupancy costs and larger end-of-lease liabilities, potentially forcing them to reduce frontline staffing, scale back services, or withdraw from certain locations.

Conversely, if the court finds that public law duties, including equality considerations, apply to City Property’s decisions, this could constrain how aggressively commercial terms are applied to essential public services housed in council-owned buildings. That outcome might encourage more structured mediation, clearer commissioning-aligned rent policies, or formal safeguards for charities delivering statutory or quasi-statutory services.

For vulnerable Glaswegians, the most immediate effect will depend on whether a mediated or court-backed solution is reached before any closure or service reduction. A prolonged dispute with no interim funding bridge could lead to reduced capacity in addiction treatment and support services, increasing pressure on emergency health, justice and housing systems that already interact heavily with this client group.