THE owner of Scotland's biggest car firm has sparked controversy with plans to demolish a historic B-listed garage in Glasgow's West End.

Sir Arnold Clark's company wants to knock down the Botanic Gardens Garage and replace it with a modern four-storey building of 35 flats, four mews cottages, retail space and a restaurant.

The historic property in Vinicombe Street, Hillhead, is one of the oldest surviving custom-built garages in Glasgow.

Built around 1912, it was designed by David Valentine Wyllie and has a distinctive façade of green and white glazed terracotta tiles. Campaigners claim its architecture, especially the façade, should be preserved as it adds to the West End's unique character.

Sam Maddra set up a website to save the garage at www.myspace.com/botanicgardensgarage urging people to object to the demolition of the B-listed property.

She said: "As a neighbour, I'm concerned about the buildings round about me and this is an important building which should be preserved. If it is a sympathetic refurbishment, where they kept the façade, it could work really well.

"But I'm not in favour of the demolition and don't believe it should be allowed to go ahead."

But the car dealer, who bought the property in 1968, says it would be too expensive to retain the 95-year-old frontage.

The garage is B-listed or of "regional significance" and preservation groups say it would be tragedy if the city lost another piece of its heritage.

Ranald MacInnes, principal inspector at Historic Scotland, said it was Scottish Ministers' policy that "no worthwhile building is unnecessarily lost" in a development.

He added: "Historic Scotland would always encourage the reuse of historic buildings where possible and can advise on how this might be achieved."

Glasgow City Council said the proposals would not be considered until it returns from the summer recess.

A spokesman for Arnold Clark said: "Within the next few years the external condition of the building will deteriorate and the irreplaceable tiles, which have started to crack, will continue to demise.

"To bring the structure into line with current rental requirements it would cost in excess of £3.5 million."