Businesses say Glasgow Union Street fire cordon 'is killing us'

Glasgow business owners say they are struggling to survive as a cordon erected after a fire near Central Station has caused footfall to plummet. The huge blaze, which engulfed a B-listed Victorian building, broke out in a vape shop on Union Street on 8 March. In its latest update Glasgow City Council, which has been responsible for the demolition of the building, said the cordon on Union Street and Gordon Street would remain in place until July. Sebastian Bacewicz, who co-owns Portuguese bakery Pastéis Lisboa just outside the cordon on Gordon Street, said his bakery was "losing money every week" almost two months after the fire. The cordon, which has been relaxed slightly since the fire, means some businesses in undamaged buildings still cannot reopen, including two supermarkets and a travel agent. However it also means pedestrians need to use other routes to walk from Glasgow Central Station to the main shopping area on Buchanan Street. Pastéis Lisboa opened its second Glasgow shop on Gordon Street in December. "We rely on footfall and customers returning to the shop, which is one of the reasons why we picked that location," Bacewicz said. "Gordon Street used to be one of the busi