THE ''jewel in the crown'' of Glasgow's conservation areas is under

threat, says the Glasgow West Conservation Trust.

Claiming that the ''invaluable heritage'' of one of Britain's finest

examples of Victorian town planning is deteriorating through inadequate

maintenance, vandalism, inappropriate alterations, and poor-quality new

building, the trust has published a guide for property owners in the

West End and Partick. The guide covers planning regulations and offers

advice on repairs, alterations, decoration, and extension to buildings,

gardens, and backcourts.

Before carrying out alterations or repairs, owners in the West End

need to take account of Listed Building Consent. Some 260 buildings in

the area are covered by Listed Building Consent which protects the

exterior of the properties as well as interior details such as ceilings

and doors. Gardens, walls, railings, and outbuildings are also

protected. The planning department can advise on which buildings are

listed. The regulations include:

* Article 4 Directions. These cover all buildings in the conservation

area and mean that planning permission may be required for certain minor

alterations such as: cleaning or painting stonework, re-roofing with

tiles rather than slates, removing or altering chimneys, erection or

alteration of dormers or rooflights, and the erection or alteration of

boundary walls, fences, or gates. Installation of meter boxes, alarms,

and flues at the front of the property can also be covered. Erection of

satellite dishes or alterations to rear lanes may also require planning

consent.

* Consent for Tree Works. All trees in a conservation area are

protected by law. It is illegal to ''cut down, lop, top, uproot,

wilfully damage or destroy'' a legally protected tree without

permission.

* Repairs Notices. Owners of listed buildings are responsible for

keeping the structure in a reasonable state of repair. Neglectful owners

can be forced by the district council to undertake necessary maintenance

-- or the council can step in and carry out the repairs, charging the

owner for the cost. In extreme cases, the compulsory purchase of a

building can be undertaken if the council believes that an owner is

deliberately allowing a building to deteriorate to justify its

demolition.

Owners who illegally demolish, alter, or extend a listed building

without the necessary consents can face a fine, imprisonment, or both.

The guide also provides advice on carrying out repairs to stonework,

front doors, windows, roofs, ornamental railings, and outbuildings. The

cream and buff sandstone used on so many West End tenements was quarried

in Glasgow while the red sandstone came from Dumfries.

The trust urges the highest standard of stone repair to avoid further

deterioration. Planning permission is not usually granted for stone

cleaning on its own, but only as a part of an overall scheme to repair

the stonework of the building. The trust says that painting the stone is

not a cheap alternative. ''It usually causes rather than solves decay

problems,'' says the guide. ''Stone walls must be able to breathe; most

paints block the pores and trap moisture inside (especially oil-based

paints).''

The conservation trust is a registered company limited by guarantee

and a registered charity. It says that its primary purpose is ''to

conserve and promote the West End's unique Victorian architectural

heritage and townscape and the quality of life enjoyed by the rich

mixture of its residents.''