Council plans for a new £210,000 feature at the Glasgow Necropolis "could be the end" for the historic graveyard, says the charity that preserves it.
The six-figure development will see a new entrance at the East End of the cemetery and was described as a "positive step" by councillors who proposed funding.
The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis (FGN), has said that the new entrance will "be to the detriment" of the Victorian graveyard.
They've shared concerns over safety and the impact on wildlife, as well as claiming there would be an "increase in anti-social behaviour, including drug taking and prostitution" at the A-listed site.
Speaking with the Glasgow Times, FGN chairperson Annette Mullen said: "We have her [the Necropolis] best interests at heart and this is extremely worrying.
"If these plans go ahead, it could be the end of the Necropolis, it really could be.
"We've been seeing an increase in trouble since Covid, and if we're suddenly a through road to the city centre, that's only going to get worse.
"We want as many people to see the Necropolis as possible, but in the right way, it is a graveyard and must be treated with respect - it would break our hearts to see it go back to what it was like in the 1970s."
There are currently two entrances to the site; the main gate is beside Glasgow Cathedral, and another entrance is on Wishart Street, with no access on the eastern side of the 37-acre site.
The funding was approved by the Dennistoun Local Area Partnership last week after being proposed by Greens councillor Anthony Carroll and SNP councillor Allan Casey.
Councillor Carroll said when the plans were revealed last week that, as well as introducing people to the heritage space, the new entrance could provide a useful cut through to the city.
He said: “The Necropolis is a cornerstone of Glasgow’s heritage in a lot of ways.
“The new entrance would give east end folk a great opportunity to experience the Necropolis and also pass through the Bridge of Sighs and into the Cathedral precinct into town.”
Several potential entrance locations are to be considered, including Circus Drive or Firpark Street.
The FGN argues that while the project looks "superficially attractive," a closer look "reveals details that will be to the detriment of the Glasgow Necropolis" and will "far outweigh any community benefit."
The charity met with council officials last week, on October 28, and Annette, who became chair of the charity two years ago, said: "Despite our objections, it has already been decided that this project is going ahead."
The council says that responses to the Dennistoun Liveable Neighbourhood & Learning Quarter Regeneration consultations helped spark the idea.
FGN, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, has raised over £200,000 for the conservation and restoration of the iconic city asset.
They sent a four-page open letter to council officials, which details several major objections to the plans.
The letter states that "it must be understood that the Glasgow Necropolis is a cemetery, a place of respect and peaceful remembrance" for the nearly 52,000 people buried there.
It goes on to argue that the site, which is open 24 hours a day, will be inundated with people using it "for any purpose, be that positive or to its detriment."
FGN say that since the Covid pandemic, they have seen an increase in thefts, rubbish, vandalism, anti-social behaviour, including drug taking and prostitution.
They claim that "discarded needles and associated drug paraphernalia are now a common issue", and while their meeting with the council did involve discussions around "possible mitigations" like lighting and CCTV, they "don't believe" they would work or be "properly maintained."
Another of their concerns is that the through route will "end up being a cycle lane in no time" as the plans "don't have a solution to that concern while maintaining wheelchair access."
Annette added: "There has never been an entrance on the east side of the Necropolis; this is an A-listed heritage site, and they want to knock down some of its walls."
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “The proposal to introduce an eastern entrance to the Necropolis was first put forward formally in the Learning Quarter District Regeneration Framework, which followed a public consultation on developments that would improve the area.
“This district regeneration framework document was subsequently approved by the council’s City Administration Committee on May 4, 2023.
“The forthcoming consultation is to help determine a suitable location for an eastern entrance to the Necropolis, and we met with the Friends of Necropolis as part of this consultation.
“No agreed designs for a new gate have been developed at this stag,e but we will consider carefully any views that come forward during the consultation.
“We maintain the Necropolis on a routine and regular basis.”
FGN says they have been aware of the plans since they were first put forward in 2023, but have "formally objected and been fighting this for years."
Annette spoke of the charity's worries that the plans were now "moving at pace with limited to no consultation."
The next stage of the plans will involve two drop-in sessions at Dennistoun Library, where initial design options can be viewed for feedback.
They will take place on Thursday, November 6 2025, from 4pm until 7.30pm, and Friday, November 7, 2025, from 10.45am until 1.45pm in the Macmillan Room, Dennistoun Library, 2A Craigpark, Glasgow G31 2NA.
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