SNP run council blasted over 'damning' report into state of Glasgow city centre

A “damning” report has shown a huge reduction in visitors to Glasgow city centre amid an ongoing row over dirty streets.

Sales have also slumped by £60m, with retail and fashion hit hard during the cost of living crisis.

Labour councillor George Redmond blamed the SNP council: "The recent report showing a huge decline in footfall in the city centre is damning evidence of the SNP's mismanagement.

“As one of the largest retail cities in the UK, it's clear that Glasgow businesses seeking support have been met with silence.”

The legacy of the pandemic and a rise in home working are believed to have hit Glasgow businesses hard.

But critics of Susan Aitken, the SNP council leader in Glasgow, also accuse her administration of being anti-business.

A report by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce shows a year-on-year decline in footfall in 2024, with 410,000 fewer visitors in May compared to the same month last year.

The report also shows a sales decrease in April of this year of 12.3%, the equivalent of £60m, compared to last year.

The year-to-year decline is 2.4%, or £237m.

According the Chamber of Commerce, Glasgow is performing behind Edinburgh and Manchester.

Of the ten sectors listed, six were in decline compared to April last year.

The business "feedback" section of the report mentioned ongoing concerns such as "cleansing, maintenance & hygiene".

Aitken has been accused of presiding over a decline in the cleanliness of Glasgow's streets, with one trade union boss describing the city as "filthy".

Redmond said: "This is a critical time for change; we cannot allow the city centre's cleanliness, poor transportation, and vitality to continue to suffer due to neglect.

“The city's infrastructure is crumbling, public transport is unreliable, and the streets are filthy. It's time to address these issues head-on and restore Glasgow to its rightful place as a thriving, well-managed urban centre."

Glasgow Labour MSP Pam-Duncan Glancy said: "The SNP have gutted the city centre, failed on public transport and badly let down the hospitality industry. Glasgow is an incredible place to live and work, because of the people. The SNPs lack of care for it and our people will not be forgotten."

Richard Muir, deputy chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "The recovery of Glasgow City Centre should remain a top economic priority for all levels of our Governments.

"The Golden Z report launched last August explained much of what needs to be done to breathe fresh life into the most impacted streets. It is now time that we enact this report.

"We are calling for an accelerated recovery of Glasgow City Centre as a key national asset and economic engine by establishing a New City Deal which would include innovative tax incentives and funding, to leverage the commercial core, our iconic cultural assets and prioritise investment in the Scottish Events Campus."

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Like all city and town centres in the UK and beyond, Glasgow city centre faces facing significant challenges brought about by the legacy of the pandemic - most notably the rise in home working – the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis and changing retail patterns.

“It must be said that Glasgow city centre remains the most significant economic area in Scotland, and a highly attractive destination for people both in the city and the greater Glasgow area with an estimated 50 million visitors coming into the area in 2023.

“We are working very closely with our public and private sector partners in the City Centre Task Force to ensure the city centre stays resilient and adapts to the changes it faces.”

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