Council to deliver £20million Community Hubs investment across Glasgow

Published: 4 June 2019

A Glasgow City Council committee today (4 June) considered proposals for the first phase of new community hubs across the city. This first phase is a £20million project.

These hubs will be single locations from which multiple council and partner services will be accessed and delivered.

This is the first phase of the creation of new community hubs in Glasgow, and it is proposed that the development of new community hubs is initially focused on the following council wards: Baillieston; Calton; Canal; Drumchapel/Anniesland; Greater Pollok and Pollokshields.

Co-locating services is expected to lead a more effective way of delivering them, and key to this effectiveness will be involving local communities in this.  A programme of community engagement will take place to identify what services local people and organisations need in their area. These community engagement sessions will link in with existing structures such as local community planning groups and citizens panels.

Four of the wards where the hubs will be established are existing pilot areas for Participatory Budgeting, focusing on themes to address poverty and inequality: Calton (child poverty); Canal (income/employment deprivation); Greater Pollok (young people); and Pollokshields (BME communities).

Two specific examples as to how these community hubs will host a range of uses that meet local needs while supporting regeneration can be found in Baillieston and Drumchapel: in Baillieston, the council has a long-standing commitment to deliver new sports facilities in James Lindsay Park, which will be supported by an additional £6.5million. This presents the opportunity to co-locate/co-create other services relevant to the needs of the local community, while in Drumchapel, the decision on where best to locate the hub will be informed by how local commercial, community and housing needs can be aligned with the aspirations and needs of the community and partner organisation based there.

There will also be ongoing work to identify locations for future community hubs in other areas in Glasgow as part of the council's Property and Land Strategy.  This strategy is a first of its kind in the city, and aims to make the best possible use of the council's property and land, working with local communities and organisations to co-design and co-produce services relevant to their needs and priorities.

The council has taken ownership of the Dalmarnock Legacy Hub, and will soon begin engaging with the local community on both the best use/s for the building and who will deliver its operation and management.

Councillor Greg Hepburn, Chair of Glasgow City Council's Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm City Policy Committee, said: "These proposals would deliver a new model of community service provision that best meets the needs and convenience of Glaswegians, bringing local services together into one accessible space. This £20m investment will be the first stage in transforming how people access these services in Glasgow, and the new community hubs will play a key role in regenerating the six areas identified - as well as providing a sustainable future for the Dalmarnock Legacy Hub. Future hubs in other parts of the city will play a similar role in bringing these social and economic benefits all across Glasgow."

The proposals for the community hubs have been informed by Glasgow City Council's Property and Land Strategy, and more detail about the strategy can be found here: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/Councillorsandcommittees/viewSelectedDocument.asp?c=P62AFQDN0GT10G81DN.