New Rapid Repairs project will help to improve look and feel of Glasgow city centre

The City Centre Rapid Repairs pilot programme will address perceptions of the quality of the city centre's look and feel by carrying out rapid repairs to small-scale but high impact streetscape issues in public space in the area. 

The pilot will primarily target the public realm (such as road and pavement remedial works) in commercial areas of the city centre. Priority areas will include zones around transport hubs and stations, and principal routes in and around office areas and key retail destinations.

Seen as a new approach to public realm management, the pilot will operate as an addition to any planned maintenance works being undertaken by the council. The work itself includes repairs or replacement of pavement slabs, street furniture, lighting and bollards, removal of lighting stickers/flyposting and offensive graffiti, street washing, and/or other measures that improve key routes and spaces.

The pilot is funded from city centre developer contributions and City Centre Strategy funding (£200,000 for each source). This is a new and more proactive way of using developer contributions to tackle a specific issue.

The innovative scheme is predominantly intended to provide a fast response to smaller, compact areas - an average street would be at the very upper limit of size in terms of eligibility - that appear neglected or which show poor-quality public realm features that are undermining investment opportunities in target areas.

Recent public surveys show that issues on look and feel range from vacant units to stickers on bins, poor quality pavements, antisocial behaviour, and greenery on buildings. Glasgow's City Centre Strategy 2024-30 has introduced a range of new measures to react directly to this, and the pilot will fill some of the gaps that already funded programmes (such as those supported by the Glasgow City Region City Deal and Sustrans) do not cover in the city centre.

Proposals for improvements can be made by business/commercial stakeholders in the city centre - as well as council services - using the City Centre Strategy mailbox at citycentrestrategy@glasgow.gov.uk - the council's City Centre Regeneration Group will then consider the eligibility of the proposals before actioning as quickly as possible.

The City Centre Rapid Repairs pilot will begin in January 2025 and last as a trial for one year.

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for City Centre Recovery at Glasgow City Council, said: "We know that relatively small defects in the public realm such as issues with pavements and street furniture can have an outsized impact on the look and feel of the city centre. This new approach will allow us to respond more quickly to such issues where they arise to create a more attractive city centre for everyone and further support investment into Glasgow."

Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said:  "This pilot is a welcome initiative that will not only enhance the aesthetics of Glasgow's city centre but also demonstrates the city's commitment to creating a more attractive and vibrant environment for visitors, businesses and investors.  By proactively addressing small but impactful issues quickly, this scheme has the potential to unlock new opportunities for growth and regeneration, driving confidence in the city's future.  We encourage members to actively engage and to make proposals for improvements."

Simon Walsh from the Glasgow Development Forum, said: "The City Centre Rapid Repair project is welcomed by the Glasgow Development Forum. The pilot project will contribute to towards other initiatives which aim to improve the appeal of Glasgow city centre. The project will improve the look and feel of the city Centre not only for potential investors but for existing business and commercial stakeholders, residents and visitors alike."