GLASGOW needs a radical new strategy to save its historic buildings, a Labour MP writes in tomorrow’s Morning Star after a Holyrood committee called for a public inquiry into the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) fires.

Paul Sweeney, who represents Glasgow North East in the Commons, recommends new powers to force negligent landlords to sell up, and suggests a Land Value Tax could reduce the number of derelict buildings left to crumble.

The Scottish Parliament’s culture committee said that in the run-up to the 2014 fire, the GSA appeared not to have specifically addressed the heightened risk of fire to the famous Charles Rennie Mackintosh building.

MSPs were also not convinced an adequate risk management approach had been taken by the art school with specific regard to the building.

The 2014 blaze was followed by an even more devastating fire last June, which spread to neighbouring buildings in the area of Sauchiehall Street, which is one of Glasgow’s main shopping and nightlife parades.

Mr Sweeney writes: “Many districts of Glasgow have now become little more than areas of managed decline.

“The very worst areas in terms of deprivation and health frequently do not get the resources required to rebuild their shattered urban environments.

“Repairing the damage needs to be as radical as the forces which caused the damage in the first place.”

He calls for “reform to taxation at local and national levels,” as the current regime “promotes perverse incentives to ‘land bank’ vast swathes of the city’s vacant land through rate relief.”

Mr Sweeney continues: “There is currently no ongoing maintenance and safety obligations on property owners, which has now resulted in a massive repair backlog for the city’s pre-1919 tenement stock including its 1,800 listed buildings.

“State intervention to extend housing co-operatives, housing associations and compulsory co-operative factoring of the city’s 70,000 pre-1919 tenement blocks must become a national priority.”

Today’s report calls on the Scottish government and fire and safety chiefs to commit to a fire risk review of Category A listed buildings with unique cultural or historic significance.

MSPs also said the government should review the “adequacy of powers to compel owners to put in place enhanced fire safety measures.”

Committee convener Joan McAlpine called for the GSA board to “learn the lessons from its role in presiding over the building,” as it “had a duty to protect Mackintosh’s legacy.”

Deputy convener Claire Baker, who is Scottish Labour’s culture spokeswoman, called for “further protection put in place for some of Scotland’s most significant historical buildings,” arguing there were “weaknesses in the policy protecting our heritage.”