GLASGOW School of Art wants to expand on to Sauchiehall Street as part of a rebuilding project for the Mackintosh Building.

The school has repeated its intention to rebuild the famous building for second time following the blaze in June this year.

In a robust meeting of Holyrood’s Culture Committee, GSoA chair Muriel Gray defended the management desk between the two fires in 2014 and 2018 as “exemplary” and dismissed accusations of mismanagement or suggestions of neglect.

She said as part of a “big estate strategy plan” the Art School was “in discussions on how we can have a front of the Art School on Sauchiehall Street.”

Ms Gray said her only regret was not having communicated better with the residents in Garnethill. She said: “I regret not having engaged more fully with the local community. That was a mistake.”

However she also said that the remit was to rebuild the Mackintosh. 

Sandra White, Kelvin SNP MSP, was outraged. She said she was concerned the attitude is that a rebuild was “non-negotiable”. She said “It seems like its set in tablets of stone.”

Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Labour MSP, said: “You are deluding yourself if you are thinking you have a good relationship with the community. One of the things the fire has exposed is the failure of a number of years to involve the community. You are still not informing the community of your plans.”

She asked: “Which building do you intend to spread out to create this frontage?”

Ms Gray said she had “no idea yet”. But that it would be done in partnership with the city council and residents.

After the meeting residents said they were still not being included.

One resident said Ms Gray was “blinkered” and “doesn’t want to hear or understand concerns of the community”.