Case study submitted by Dowanhill, Hyndland and Kelvinside Community Council - Support for Kibble Palace and Botanic Gardens

The Kibble Palace is an A Listed Victorian glasshouse built by John Kibble in the 1860s for his home in Coulport, then dismantled and moved to its present location at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens in 1873. It was initially used as an exhibition and concert hall, hosting famous figures like Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, before becoming a conservatory dedicated to cultivating temperate plants in the 1880s. The building now houses the National Collection of Tree Ferns and other temperate plants.

In 2023 there was a proposal to charge for entry to the Palace.  We were contacted by the Friends of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and joined them in the successful project to stop the charges.

In June 2017 there was a proposal by City Markets to take over the Kibble Palace for a regular market both outside and in it (with 20 stalls and 16 vehicles).  That would have ruined the serenity of the site. We were successful in preventing this commercialisation thus preserving the original character of the Kibble Palace

The Botanics host an annual event called "Glasglow" which attracts thousands of visitors, but creates many impacts needing mitigation. We engaged with the parties to obtain an independent Biodiversity Impact Assessment.  Moreover, the massive staging equipment with heavy vehicles caused damage to footpaths.  At our request, these were repaired and resurfaced by the Council.  The Main Lawn was damaged from event structures and heavy footfall, so at our request, the organiser upgraded the ground protection measures, and must now re-turf patches afterwards if required

Councillor Jill Brown said “This is a great achievement.  The retention of our unadulterated green space free at the point of use is important to all Glasgow residents”

Below – members of the Community Council inside the Kibble Palace.