TWO iconic villas designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh could soon see their beauty restored after calls for the council to save the houses from years of neglect.

First built in 1890, when Mackintosh was just 22, the A-listed buildings in Springburn are said to be increasingly delapidated and in serious need of repairs. 

Originally known as Redclyffe and Torrisdale, the villas are said to be the earliest examples of buildings built by the architect and are less than two miles from the Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh building.

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Despite a survey carried out in 2015 by the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society outlining the major works needed at the site, none of the vital repairs have been carried out. 

The society have now teamed up with local MP Paul Sweeney to call on Glasgow City Council to preserve the historic houses.

Stuart Robertson, director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, told The Sunday Post: “Looking at these A-listed buildings now, it looks very shoddy, with no sign of maintenance work since we saw it.

“Also the trees in the garden are now overshadowing the properties and putting them at even more risk.

“With the catastrophic fire at the Glasgow School of Art, it is more important that these Mackintosh buildings are looked after.

“The Mackintosh legacy is small, vulnerable and irreplaceable.”

Glasgow North East's Labour MP added: “I intend to write to the chief executive of the council.

“It’s a real priority to try to get the Mackintosh villas restored.”

The 2015 survey, which has since been sent to the council, identified problems with the external walls and windows, gutters, roof and chimneys, with the latter cited over "public safety" concerns. 

It stated: “The concern here is that what appears to be loose stonework at the chimney head may become dislodged, damage the roof and fall to ground level with the potential to have significant consequences.

“It is recommended that, as a matter of priority, all chimney heads to both houses are safely accessed and inspected with provision being made for the removal of any loose stone or chimney cans which are in imminent danger of becoming dislodged, for example in strong wind conditions.”

An inspection by Glasgow City Council later showed that the chimneys were not posing a danger.

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The original planning documents for the sandstone homes have not survived as the area was part of Lanarkshire, not Glasgow, when the houses were built. 

The Glasgow Post Office directory shows that the first resident moved into Redclyffe in December 1890. 

In 1952 the houses were described by architectural historian Thomas Howarth as Mackintosh’s “first commission”.

Mackintosh's name saved the buildings from being replaced by social housing in the 1960s, with the council keeping them as houses for two park-keepers and their families. 

The houses' current tenants are also pushing for something to be done about the state of the villas. 

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We are in discussions with a local housing association about transferring ownership of these properties to them.

“Investment in the properties is part of our discussions and we feel the housing association is much better placed to manage the properties on a long-term basis.

“We are hopeful this matter will be resolved in the near future.”