Businesses say Glasgow Union Street fire cordon 'is killing us'

Glasgow business owners say they are struggling to survive as a cordon erected after a fire near Central Station has caused footfall to plummet.

The huge blaze, which engulfed a B-listed Victorian building, broke out in a vape shop on Union Street on 8 March.

In its latest update Glasgow City Council, who has been responsible for the demolition of the building, said the cordon on Union Street and Gordon Street will remain in place until July.

Sebastian Bacewicz, who co-owns Portuguese bakery Pastéis Lisboa just outside the cordon on Gordon Street, said his bakery was "losing money every week" almost two months after the fire.

The cordon, which has been relaxed slightly since the fire, means some businesses in undamaged buildings still cannot reopen, including two supermarkets and a travel agent.

However it also means pedestrians need to use other routes to walk from Glasgow Central Station to the main shopping area on Buchanan Street.

Pastéis Lisboa opened its second Glasgow shop on Gordon Street in December.

"We rely on footfall and customers returning to the shop, which is one of the reasons why we picked that location," Bacewicz said.

"Gordon Street used to be one of the busiest streets in the city centre because of the through traffic from Glasgow Central Station.

"It was a premium location."

But since the fire, he said Pastéis Lisboa has had no passing trade from Scotland's busiest railway station.

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said footfall statistics for March were down 11% compared with the same month in 2025 due to the fire and temporary closure of Central Station.

Bacewicz said sales have been significantly down as a result.

"We lost almost 40% of our turnover overnight," he told BBC Scotland News.

"The shop was only closed for four days but since we have reopened, footfall has fallen off the cliff and we're losing money every week."

He said if the cordon continues the business is going to struggle and he might have to make "drastic changes".

On Union Street, which is normally a major bus route, businesses are also under pressure as the street misses the hustle and bustle of commuters.

"It is really bad, we're usually really busy," said Margaret Boyd, a supervisor at McDonald's Bakers, which has shops across the city.

She said her shop, which is located next to the side entrance of Central Station and relies heavily on through traffic, has been forced to close early during the week and is now closed on Sundays.

The main Gordon Street entrance and the Union Street entrance to the station remain closed as part of the small remaining exclusion zone.

"We usually make about 300 rolls a day and now we are only making up 60," Boyd said.

"There are normally five of us on shift but just now there are only three."

Glasgow City Council said it hopes work will be fully completed by July but a path around the cordon will be able to reopen before then.

Next door to Pastéis Lisboa, co-owner of Tantrum Doughnuts Iain Baillie said he is "worried" about the situation.

"Right now it is all about survival," Baillie said.

"Us small independent businesses are paying very high rents and rates to get a premium position in the city centre and I feel we have been completely overlooked and left to manage alone.

"We've been lucky our Gordon Street shop has always done well but it has been extremely demotivating and demoralising to hear the street won't reopen until July."

A spokesman for the council said: "Our business advisers continue to be available to speak to businesses affected by the Union Street fire.

"This service has been widely promoted and the team has been dealing with a high volume of inquiries from affected businesses."

He added the cordon has been in place to protect the public and create a safe working environment for specialist demolition contractors.

Businesses that were within the initial cordon could receive £2,000 from the council-administered Fire Recovery Fund.

But a few days after receiving the grant, both Bacewicz and Baillie found out their business rates had increased by 20% - about £2,700 and £1,800, respectively.

Non-domestic rates are administered and collected by local authorities to help pay for council services - but are set by the Scottish government.

Bacewicz described the rise as the "final straw" in an already stressful situation.

He said he asked the council for support and more information about timelines but did not receive anything back.

"We are a self-sufficient business but the cordon is just killing us," Bacewicz added.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "Work is currently underway to finalise a programme of non-domestic rates hardship relief for businesses affected by the fire, which will also focus on the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors."

The council added the Fire Recovery Fund has awarded £1.6m in financial support for businesses, in particular those who rely on face-to-face contact with customers.