Redevelopment of People’s Palace delayed amid funding uncertainty

The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens in Glasgow will not reopen in 2027 as scheduled following detailed survey works.

The museum and glasshouse, situated in Glasgow Green park, closed in 2024 to undergo a £35.9m redevelopment after it was awarded £7.5m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £13m from Glasgow City Council.

Although Glasgow Life, the culture trust that runs the site on behalf of the council, had planned for a 2027 reopening, it has now emerged that this deadline will be missed.

The charity has not yet provided a new timeframe for the project to finish, but told Museums Journal that it would announce a revised reopening date “as soon as practically possible”.

Detailed survey works have been undertaken on the A-listed building to inform the design development, understand the condition and conservation requirements of the building, and finalise the scope of restoration and redevelopment works.

“As is common with large-scale capital projects involving major heritage structures, timelines, options and cost estimates continue to evolve as more detailed technical information becomes available and as funding discussions progress,” a spokesperson for Glasgow Life said.

“Our focus remains on delivering a high-quality restoration of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, which reflects the aspirations of local communities and secures the long-term future of this much-loved cultural space as an inclusive, accessible and world-class museum.”

It was recently revealed that the Scottish Government had turned down a request for £4.5m towards the redevelopment, around 12% of the total cost.

Speaking at a recent culture committee hearing at the Scottish Parliament, Billy Garrett, the director of culture, tourism and events at Glasgow Life, said the trust was disappointed by the government's decision.

“We were disappointed to be honest to see there was no funding for the People's Palace, a capital programme in Glasgow that we have had conversations with ministers about,” he said, adding that the local authority was very supportive of the project and wider culture in the city.

The delay has led to accusations that the government, led by the Scottish National Party (SNP), is neglecting Glasgow’s heritage.

Vonnie Sandlan, the Scottish Labour candidate for Glasgow Central in the upcoming parliamentary elections, wrote on X that “the neglect of the People’s Palace is a slap in the face to Glasgow’s working class, and our cultural heritage”.

Meanwhile Paul Sweeney, the Labour & Co-operative member of Scottish Parliament for Glasgow, said the “years of disinformation and deception about the closure of the People's Palace symbolise the contempt that the SNP holds Glasgow and its working class history in”.

“They closed the museum two years ago to start refurbishment works, despite the funding to do it not being in place,” he said.

Sweeney also highlighted the deteriorating condition of the terracotta Doulton Memorial Fountain in front of the museum, which was restored 20 years ago and was recently damaged by vandals.

“The museum staff used to supervise its operation. It's appalling that all this effort has been allowed to unravel,” said Sweeney.

The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens opened in 1898 as Glasgow’s first purpose-built museum. It was saved from demolition in the late 1970s by the late social history curator Elspeth King, a key figure in the Scottish museum world, who died last autumn.

The redevelopment project is being community-led through public consultation. The museum is expected to remain free to visit when it reopens.