The People's Palace is to remain open after funding was made available by council officials.

A total of £350,000 worth of funding has been agreed by members of the City's Administration Committee to allow a series of proposed adaptations to take place to ensure the building meets fire safety standards.

As reported exclusively by the Evening Times, the People's Palace and Winter Gardens were due to close at the end of the year due to health and safety concerns.

As the People's Palace requires access to the historic glasshouse for fire exits and sanitary facilities, it was expected to close indefinitely while a long-term plan was drawn up.

However, it is now likely that the People’s Palace will shut on a temporary basis while the necessary permissions are gained and adaptations are completed.

It is estimated the work to enable the building to remain open on a longer term basis will take eight to twelve weeks.

The proposal placed before the committee also indicated that the current situation is an opportunity for a ‘complete review of the purpose and function of both buildings’, but also all of the city’s other remaining, historic glasshouse structures.

A feasibility study will look to identify a sustainable future for these buildings that will protect the long term investment that is required for them.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “There was strong, emotional reaction to the possible closure of the People’s Palace, which shows exactly what it means to the people of Glasgow. In the circumstances it is right that we have pursued a plan that will allow it to remain open independently of the Winter Gardens.

“The Winter Gardens is also a much loved part of the city’s heritage, but given its ornate and detailed design it will always require a substantial and expensive programme of repairs.

"At this point it is also right that we take stock and look for sustainable options for both the Winter Gardens and the People’s Palace.

“This has to be part of a wider look at all our glasshouses and other built heritage. It is not enough to keep pouring money into our historic buildings and hoping for a different outcome, both physically and financially.

“We need to think creatively about how we use our built heritage so that the architecture that everyone in the city enjoys does have a sustainable future. This will be no easy task, but developing a heritage strategy will help us to determine what we need to do protect these buildings for generations to come.”

The Winter Gardens structure is in need of repairs as the sealant used to secure thousands of windows in the glasshouse has reached the end of its life cycle and requires wholesale replacement.

After a pane of glass fell into the public area of the building in 2016, protective netting was installed around the glasshouse to prevent further incident at a cost £270k. Since 2016 the gardens have had to be required to be closed during periods of high winds or heavy snow.

The structural engineers commissioned by the council identified a number of structural issues with the Winter Gardens with the current repair bill estimated to be £5-7.5m.

At further report will be submitted to the City Administration Committee in due course on the feasibility study which will explore options for the People’s Palace, Winter Gardens and other historic glasshouse structures.