Drug crisis centre warns of closure over 'aggressive' rent hikes

Scotland's only crisis centre for drug and alcohol addiction is warning that "lives could be put at risk" if it is forced to close due to a dispute over rental costs with its council-owned landlord.

Turning Point Scotland has run two drug and alcohol services in Glasgow on behalf of the city council for more than 30 years, including a 16-bed residential service to help stabilise the patients.

The charity said "aggressive" cost hikes by Glasgow City Property - including the doubling of the rent on the crisis centre - had left it "dangerously close" to having to shut down if the wrangle cannot be solved.

City Property said it could not discuss lease information due to commercial sensitivity but said it was in regular communication with Turning Point about viable solutions.

Turning Point Scotland is a social care provider, which also supports people navigating the criminal justice system and homelessness, in 19 local authorities across Scotland.

In Glasgow, it runs two drug and alcohol services, located almost side-by-side inside an old school building in the Tradeston area of the city.

One operates as a crisis centre and supports people through the most urgent and life-threatening circumstances, while the other provides a residential service.

They have received 3,650 referrals over the past three years, with demand rising in the past 12 months.

The charity said both are now under threat due to rising costs from City Property, an arm's length organisation, wholly owned by the city council, that manages its property portfolio.

The dispute is centred around a number of bills, including a doubling of rent for the crisis service when a new lease agreement comes into effect.

The BBC understands the current rent for the crisis service building is £65,000 per year and will increase to £131,000 per year.

The charity says it is also waiting for final confirmation of any rent rises or maintenance costs for the nearby residential centre.

It argues that the uncertainty over future costs threatens the sustainability of running the service.

City Property said the details of the lease were confidential between tenant and landlord and it could not discuss them.

Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Turning Point chief executive Neil Richardson said it works across Scotland and is familiar with leasing arrangements but he has never seen such "commercially aggressive behaviour" from a local authority landlord before.

He said that with the current "enormous financial liabilities hanging over our heads" the charity could begin a formal staff consultation process of beginning to shut down the service by the end of the week if a compromise cannot be found.

The latest financial blow comes after Turning Point was handed a £806,000 bill by Glasgow City Property last year following the closure of a residential centre for women going through the criminal justice system.

The charity claims they had to close the Bath Street centre in 2024 after facing a budget cut, and were then "unexpectedly" handed the bill for dilapidation costs the following year.

Dilapidation costs are fees that commercial tenants often face at the end of a lease, such as fixing any damage and redecorating the property to its original appearance.

But Richardson said a bill like this, which included costs towards the structure of the building itself, would not be expected when a charity was delivering a vital service for a local authority.

Scotland has the worst drugs death rates in Europe and Glasgow has the worst levels in the country.

Earlier this year, the Scottish government and councils announced a joint long-term action plan aimed at tackling both drug and alcohol deaths, including a commitment to reducing barriers to support services such as those offered by Turning Point Scotland.

Richardson said it was not possible to the reduce the harm caused by a drug death emergency while allowing the kind of damage that the treatment service was facing.

"If that treatment is jeopardised, as it is currently being done by Glasgow City Property with these two services, then it's putting lives at risk and frankly that is something we cannot tolerate."

Last week, Turning Point gave the BBC rare access to both its crisis and residential centres.

Rena, who now volunteers at Turning Point, said she would be dead without help from the service.

The 57-year-old, who was addicted to drugs for more than 40 years, said this time last year she weighed five stone and only had five teeth.

"I just wanted to die, I was just praying I wouldn't wake up because I couldn't face another day doing what I was doing," she said.

Rena says the staff at the Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Crisis Service (GADCS) were "incredible".

"They really listened to me for the first time in a long time and I just feel seen as a human being," she said.

For the first time in her adult life, Rona says she can give her family "peace of mind" and make meaningful friendships – and she recently went on a holiday.

She says none of these things were possible for her before.

Among the services provided at the crisis centre – which is open 24 hours a day - are a safe needle exchange, wound care, group support sessions, and intensive individual support.

Inside there are sensory rooms, communal spaces with pool tables and televisions, and a garden with a paddling pool and gym.

Gerry, 50, has been clean for eight months after receiving support at the charity's residential service.

When he arrived 18 months ago, he saw "no way out" and had made several suicide attempts.

He stayed at the unit for six weeks before moving on to rehab once he was stable.

"Now I've got a chance to build a life for myself, and do stuff that the guys are doing, and up until 18 months ago none of that was possible," he said.

If the centre were to close, Gerry believes the number of drug deaths in Glasgow would increase even further.

"That's a fact, and there's a ripple effect on family, on friends, who are left to pick up the pieces," he said.

Health Secretary Angela Constance said she is "very concerned" about the situation and "very aware of the good work" Turning Point Scotland does, but described the issue as a "dispute at a local level".

Ms Constance said that the minister for public health, Maree Todd, has "written once again" to Glasgow City Council, asking them that "everything be done to resolve this situation" and has suggested independent mediation to move things forward.

However, Ms Constance also added: "If we want to save and improve lives, we need to be very focused on access to care and treatment that is bespoke to each individual.

"It is important that every effort is made at a local level to resolve this and we want to support all parties to get together and to find a solution that's in everybody's interests, and most importantly, those who currently receive a service."

A spokeswoman for Glasgow's Health and Social Care Partnership, which provides the funds to run the drug service, said: "We have met and continue to meet with Turning Point Scotland and discussions are ongoing about how we can find a resolution that allows the continuation of service provision."