Motoring tycoon Sir Arnold Clark has pulled his application to demolish a historic garage believed to be unique within the UK.

The B-listed Botanic Gardens Garage, in Glasgow's west end, had been earmarked for a modern four-storey building of 35 flats, four mews cottages, retail space and a restaurant.

However, on Wednesday Sir Arnold withdrew the bid for the demolition of the garage some heritage experts believe may be the oldest multi-storey car park in the world.

Built by David V Wyllie on Vinicombe Street, off Byres Road, between 1906 and 1912, the garage has a distinctive facade of green and white terracotta tiles and is considered an important survivor from the earliest days of automobile history.

The demolition plans had spawned an umbrella protest group of heritage organisations and residents - Save The Botanic Gardens Garage.

They now intend to lobby Historic Scotland to award the garage A-listed status and safeguard it from future demolition plans. Planning sources have told The Herald that a structural assessment of the garage in late August found that, aside from some remedial repair and refurbishment work, it has been deemed to be structurally sound and not, as previously claimed, a potential threat to public safety.

A report into the building also found it had "very interesting roof trusses". It is understood this may have been the main consideration for the reversal.

However, there are concerns that, given the time and effort already invested in the residential project, Sir Arnold's people may come back with a revised plan at a later date, although the firm insists it will now consult with interested parties about the garage's future before submitting another application.

George Roberts, SNP councillor for Hillhead, said: "I appreciate it's a commercial operation he runs, but a solution which maintains the integrity of the building would win the support of the people around Hillhead."

Dr Sam Maddra, a Glasgow University historian and leading campaigner for the garage's preservation, said: "There is no older multi-storey car park in either the UK or US and we're now checking to see if it is the world's oldest."

John Clark, spokesman for the Arnold Clark group, said: "We have withdrawn our planning application for Vinicombe street. We are in discussions with various bodies on how best to apply these views of campaigners, develop the site and move forward with a new application."