Key Points

• Glasgow City Council has postponed a decision on whether to demolish Hillhead Baptist Church, after councillors opted to refer the proposal to a hearing because there were 332 objections.
• The church is a category B-listed building in Glasgow’s West End, and the proposal would replace it with flatted residential development.
• The planning position is being considered alongside a demolition proposal for the church building and a separate listed building application.
• The case has drawn strong interest because the building is part of Glasgow’s built heritage and sits within a conservation area.
• Earlier reports said the church had been the subject of long-running redevelopment plans, including options involving retention of historic fabric and conversion to flats.

Hillhead (Glasgow Express) April 21, 2026 – Glasgow City Council has delayed a decision on the future of Hillhead Baptist Church after councillors agreed to send the demolition proposal to a hearing in response to 332 objections. The move means the issue will now be examined more closely before any final ruling is made on whether the B-listed West End church can be demolished and replaced with flats.

Why has the decision been postponed?

The main reason for the delay is the number of objections lodged against the application. According to the reporting, councillors decided that such a large volume of opposition justified a hearing rather than an immediate planning decision.

The proposal under discussion covers both the demolition of the building and the creation of a flatted residential development on the site.

As reported in the available coverage, the council papers relate to both full planning permission and listed building consent for Hillhead Baptist Church. The agenda item describes the scheme as demolition of the building and erection of a 32-unit flatted residential development with associated landscaping and infrastructure.

What is the church and why does it matter?

Hillhead Baptist Church is a category B-listed building at the corner of Cranworth Street and Cresswell Street in Glasgow’s West End.

Listed status gives added protection because the building is recognised as being of historic or architectural importance, and the site also sits within the Glasgow West Conservation Area.

The church has become significant because the debate is not only about one building, but also about how much historic fabric should be retained and what sort of redevelopment is acceptable in a sensitive part of the city.

Earlier planning coverage said the church had faced long-running uncertainty, with proposals changing over time as developers and stakeholders responded to council feedback.

What were the earlier redevelopment plans?

Earlier reporting showed that the building had already been the subject of redevelopment plans before the current demolition push.

One proposal approved in 2020 involved converting the church into 29 flats while keeping the historic facades and providing church or community facilities underneath the new homes.

That previous plan was presented as a way of saving the building while giving it a new use. However, later updates from the developer’s project site said the scheme had undergone several revisions following feedback from Glasgow City Council and stakeholders, indicating the proposals had not stayed fixed.

What objections have been raised?

The objections reported in the public material focus on the loss of a listed building and its value to the local historic environment.

A planning objection published on a public site argued that demolition would be unnecessary to achieve reuse of the site and would result in a permanent loss of Glasgow’s built heritage and community amenity.

That objection also argued that partial façade retention had not been properly explored and said the redevelopment would not provide significant community benefit.

It further stated that demolition would conflict with planning policy and guidance related to the historic environment and the Glasgow West Conservation Area.

How has the developer framed the scheme?

The developer’s project material says the proposals have been revised in response to feedback and describes the site as having gone through updates in 2025.

The material indicates that the current applications relate to the demolition of the existing building and the creation of residential flats with landscaping and infrastructure.

Earlier coverage also said the church had worked for years to find a solution for the building and that, in the view of those supporting the earlier flats plan, the project may have represented the “best and last opportunity” to save the structure.

That view was linked to concerns that, if the building remained in poor condition for several more years, demolition might eventually become unavoidable.

How does the council process work now?

The next step is for the matter to go to a hearing, where councillors will consider the objections and the arguments in favour of the proposal before deciding whether demolition consent and planning permission should be granted.

The hearing process is used when a planning application attracts substantial public interest or a large number of objections.

At this stage, no final decision has been confirmed in the material provided here. The reporting only shows that the proposal has been paused for further consideration, which keeps both outcomes open: approval of demolition or refusal of the application.

Background of the development

Hillhead Baptist Church has been under discussion for several years as part of wider redevelopment efforts in Glasgow’s West End.

Publicly available material shows that plans have shifted from a conversion-led approach, involving retention of the historic façade and the creation of flats, towards a more drastic proposal involving demolition and a larger residential redevelopment.

The planning history suggests a recurring tension between conservation and redevelopment. On one side is the argument that the building should be preserved or adapted because of its listed status and heritage value; on the other is the claim that the site may need a stronger intervention if the structure is no longer viable in its current form.

Prediction for residents

For local residents in Hillhead and the wider West End, the hearing means the future of the site is unlikely to be settled quickly. If the demolition plan is approved, the area could see a major change in character, with a new block of flats replacing a familiar historic landmark.

If the application is refused, the building’s long-term future would still remain uncertain unless a revised conservation-friendly plan emerges. For nearby residents, the outcome will likely affect views, the local streetscape, and debate over how much development pressure the West End can absorb while retaining its historic identity.