Month: July 2025

Meeting Minutes, 24 June 2025

Attended by: Tam Coyle (Chair), Gary Atkinson, Rosalind Atkinson, Alice Cowan, David Cowan, Peter Hayman, Niall McColl, Scott Thornton; Councillor Angus Millar; Police Constables Nathan Baxter, Euan Thomson and Lewis Moore; Cieran Buchanan, Liam Cochran, Neil McCallum and Gerry O’Donnell (Glasgow City Council and Rainton Construction); Lorenzo Mele and Emma Donald (Merchant City Festival); Gregor McIntyre (John Grady MP’s office), RA, DF, MG, PP.

 Via Zoom video: Depute Lord Provost Christy Mearns, Community Councillors David Hughes and Ross Naismith, EM.

 

1. APOLOGIES

Councillor Eva Bolander, John Grady MP, Gordon Millar, Colin McKay

2. DRAFT MINUTES OF 27 MAY MEETING

 Adoption proposed by Niall McColl, seconded by Tam Coyle. Approved.

3. POLICE REPORT

PC Baxter gave indicative statistics showing 79 crimes reported in the MCTCC area in the period 1-24 June of which 49 had been detected. The number is lower than recent averages but the period covered was shorter.

These included drugs, bail and road traffic offences including four suspected drunk drivers, and retail thefts.

Feedback from residents is vital and encouraged.

Scott mentioned issues emailed by a local resident about rough sleepers, sometimes in tents, blocking pavements.

PC Baxter said some people choose to sleep out in the streets. Scott said obstructing a pavement was an offence.

RA said she had noticed an increase in the number of women begging and asked if police had spotted evidence of coercion or involvement of criminal gangs. Were they afraid to speak out?

PC Baxter said police worked with many partners including refugee charities who also tried to engage with them and keep them off the streets, and took a public health approach.

Gary said the fire escape outside Marks and Spencer was linked to drug activity which blocked the emergency exit. PC Baxter said if this was the case Fire and Rescue Scotland would take action. In answer to a question from DF he said a single complaint could trigger a response from police or one of its partners.

In response to a question from Scott about police presence at the forthcoming TRNSMT music festival and increases of arrests reported in recent years PC Baxter said the number of officers would be lower this year because attendances were expected to be down. The festival attracted younger concertgoers including those liable to be intoxicated. As always police would make a proportionate response.

4. PRESENTATION ON MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL (MCF)

 Lorenzo and Emma provided a summary of this year’s festival (18-20 July).

Good news was that MCF had received three years funding from Creative Scotland, enabling it to plan strategically.

Outdoor performances over the three days would include those on a stage facing the Social Hub. A family zone would be set up in Merchant Square for Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with the International Children’s Festival. The Boardwalk (Impact Arts) would also be used and an acrobatic parcours, with a ‘silent disco’ based on Jane Austen novels would start from The Ramshorn Graveyard.

There would be a mass ceilidh on Brunswick Street on the Friday with story telling, and the Saturday would be ‘Queer-led’ to coincide with Pride.

Albion Street will remain open to traffic this year. The road between O’Neills and Bell Street would be closed. Enma will provide details of road closures. An email newsletter is being introduced.

Accessible toilets would be on the road, not on the camber as last year.

The Simon Community would distribute disposable cameras with a public display and competition to feature the best photos on a calendar.

A drop-in information event would be held in Merchant Square from 6-8 pm on Wednesday 2 July.

Residents wishing to park their cars elsewhere due to road closures can request ‘displacement.’

David Cowan is co-ordinating MCTCC’s presence at MCF, including provision of promotional literature and giveaways. Tam will liaise with him and Emma on this. She will also contact David Hughes and David Fox from the Friends of the Ramshorn Graveyard about events there..

Niall complained that the cost for small businesses to have a stall at the Festival was prohibitive.

5. AVENUES PROJECTS INCLUDING GEORGE SQUARE

Cieran Buchanan, GCC Principal Officer, City Deal – Client Management provided updates and took questions/comments, notably on the omission of a water feature on George Square.

He confirmed the estimated cost of £2.6m and said this would have been prohibitive.

All bronze statues had been removed from the Square, restored and their conditions checked. The stone plinths and ground were also being assessed and there would be a ‘spare’ temporary plinth. The histories of individuals on the statues would be taken into account in the decision whether or not to reinstate them.

Work had started on West George Street.

There would have been an ongoing maintenance cost of the water fountain or similar feature. It would have required a sub-surface pump room.

The Square itself would be ‘wall to wall’ and is due for completion in August 2026. The section between North Hanover and Cathedral Streets should be finished by Spring 2027.

In response to comments from David Cowan he said the water feature had been dropped because of complexity and costs. Substantial excavations would have been required.

Scott noted that a detailed explanation of the reasons for excluding the water feature had been received from David McEwan, GCC Divisional Director. These included capital cost, risk and complexity, programme dependency and the revenue consequences of capital.

The decision on the water fountain had caused great anger in the local community.

This was a glorious missed opportunity. Scotland’s biggest city city deserved a civic square which made people go ‘Wow!’ He could not see the ‘Wow!’ factor in the current design. It should have been ‘the civic square of all civic squares in Scotland.’

Residents had been led to believe up until last November and beyond that the project included a water feature. The scheme seemed to have been finalised without incorporating proper flexibility.

DF said a smaller less expensive feature could have been included. In future Christmas installations risked damaging the fabric of the Square. Councillor Millar said the City Council would ensure this did not happen. It would no longer be an ’island’ but integrated with surrounding streets. He would like to see the Square less commercialised.

Scott read out parts of a statement from Ross, MCTCC Planning Lead.

He agreed with the appointment of John McAslan Architects in whom he had confidence and wondered what it would say about the omission of a water feature. MCTCC had not been offered the chance to comment in a timely manner.

Proposed designs for Avenues projects were inherently expensive. Quicker, better and cheaper alternatives for a lighter touch, which he had put forward, could have been implemented.

We had yet to see proper design proposals for each stage. Cieran said what had been provided followed GCC standard practice.

Gary echoed others’ concerns. Local residents (not just MCTCC) should have been consulted far more extensively. He added: “Yet all we keep hearing consistently is ‘It can’t be done.’

In an era of global climate change a water feature would have cooled down the area. This was the missed opportunity of a lifetime. He implored MCTCC: “Do not let this happen.” He hoped there would not be a repeat of the ‘debacle’ of the Sauchiehall Street Avenues project.

Continuing on to other Avenues projects Cieran said the Stockwell Street scheme tenders were due to be lodged at the end of July and the contract perhaps awarded by Christmas. On Argyle Street East work would start on site in February/March 2026. High Street was at the detailed design stage with work due on site in the second half of 2026.

Clyde Street and Custom House Quay were separate projects. It would be 18 months until work on Clyde Street began. Cieran said he did not know if and when the quay wall would be re-done in Clyde Street. Scott said this defied logic. Councillor Millar said building out the quay wall was different from the actual carriageway work.

Ross said the Custom House Quay project was already 3 or 4 months behind the planners’ own original schedule.

On video Ross said we had not yet seen proper design proposals for Avenues projects. The Council needed to explain in detail what the plans were for all these schemes. What was on the Website was insufficient. He was speaking out on behalf of the population. They needed to know.

6. ELECTED MEMBERS’ REPORTS

Councillor Millar said he hoped to arrange another ‘Walkabout’ in the MCTCC area in August.

Significant additional resources were being put into cleansing following the recruitment of more staff including those on night shift.

Niall asked if this could include removing graffiti and stickers which obscured road signs.

He and Ross had discussed the need for more detailed Avenues project designs and greater pedestrian priorities on Candleriggs, on which GCC officers were positive.

Depute Lord Provost Mearns, by video link, said the Vodka Vodka bar had promised to take measures to limit excessive noise to neighbours. Internal doors were being put in place and staff training was being ‘refreshed.’

Street cafes were continuing to mis-use pavements. GCC officers were due to meet businesses about this. Pedestrians were being forced to walk on the road.

She had instigated powerwashing of some streets and pavements including under benches on Brunswick Street where moss had grown, and on Candleriggs.

Bollards were being reinstated on the western side of Candleriggs to deter pavement parking by delivery drivers.

Statistics on parking fines imposed in April and May were noteworthy – 21 on Candleriggs and 101 on Brunswick Street.

Tam agreed to follow up action points from the last walkabout.

Depute Lord Provost Mearns said there was a great lack of recycling bins, especially on Brunswick Street. Officers were engaging with the Community Council on this. Bins had been removed several years ago because they had not been considered appropriate in a conservation area.

MG again raised the problem of noisy dumping of glass by three restaurants on Ingram Street. Councillor Millar said the lack of action on this could be caused by segmentation of roles within Glasgow City Council.

RA asked if a planter could be placed outside the post office on Glassford Street. Councillor Millar said he would investigate.

Gary asked about the status of the Homeless Project Scotland shelter in Glassford Street. Scott said HPS had until 24 July to lodge an appeal against GCC’s Enforcement Notice. If so it would go before the City Council’s Planning Appeals Committee.

Tam said he and Scott were meeting Councillor Casey, GCC Convener of Addiction and Homelessness Services, the following day for a general briefing about these issues.

In response to a complaint from PP, Councillor Millar said he would follow up on parking problems around Fox Street, perhaps resolvable by re-painting double yellow lines. Additional GCC budget would allow for such repainting throughout the city centre.

In response to a question from Scott, Councillor Millar said he knew of no plans to reinstate any posts of Community Response Officers.

7. PLANNING

Scott read extracts from Ross’ report:

MCTCC has objected to a planning application for a development at George/High/Shuttle Streets on the grounds of non-compliance with many draft Community Council policy statements, massing and facade treatment issues, over-saturation of student accommodation, a poor masterplanning solution to the South-East of the site, and exclusion of the former British Linen Bank building.

It had also objected to the planning application for an hotel/serviced apartments on Maxwell Street, with reasons including the need for a second technical opinion on the need to retain the facade, and lack of proposals for improvements to Fox, Maxwell and Dunlop Streets.

Scott said MCTCC was minded to request a moratorium on student accommodation and would discuss this at its next mid monthly meeting.

He, Tam, David Cowan and Peter had a very helpful and informative meeting yesterday with senior GCC officers about conversion of empty buildings, in connection with MCTCC’s forthcoming Local Place Plan submission.

8. LICENSING

A resident has complained to MCTCC about an application by Browns restaurant to put external seating around the corner in South Frederick Street.

Bowlarama has made an application to the Licensing Committee including an extension to 1 am.  Objections have to be lodged by 17 July.

Cozi Cafe at 49 High Street has made an application for an alcohol licence, with objections due by 5 July. Tam saw no reason why we should object.

9. PARADES

Scott said MCTCC intended writing to GCC’s Chief Executive requesting a moratorium on parades, especially those perceived as sectarian.

In September 2019 the Chief Executive had announced the City Council was investigating whether such a moratorium on public processions could be introduced ‘to ease community tensions while a new long term approach too parades is considered.”

While the Community Council appreciated the difficulties, the number and scale of processions through the city centre, the cost of policing them and damage caused to Glasgow’s reputation meant action was required.

On 5 July alone there would be 50 Orange Marches in Glasgow.

Demonstrations on behalf of the Irish Republican movement were commonplace. Parades for other causes were also increasing due to international political and military developments.

Councillor Millar said he understood that the 2019 investigation was about whether GCC should change its arrangements for such processions, adding that it subsequently received legal advice that such a moratorium would require a change in the law.

10. CELTIC ‘TITLE CELEBRATIONS’ FOLLOW-UPS

Scott said it was very disappointing  that MCTCC had received no response from Kaukab Stewart MSP to its emails of 19 May and 12 June asking how she was following up the (as it transpired abortive) ’summit’ meeting at Hampden Park on 28 March to prevent a repetition of disruption caused by Celtic fans in May 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Calton Community Council had written to Celtic FC, urging it (as MCTCC had done previously) to organise and pay for its own celebrations should the club win the Premiership again in 2026.

11. FRIENDS OF THE RAMSHORN GRAVEYARD (FORG)

David Hughes reported there had been 3 public tours so far with a 4th due tomorrow. A total of 43 people had attended and donations totalled £185.

Many dates had already been booked up. Tours would continue every Wednesday in July and August.

He thanked David Fox, FORG Treasurer, for his hard work and patience in managing the booking platform. He, Duncan MacLaren and other committee members had helped the successful start.

The AGM had been held on 18 June.

12. TREASURER’S REPORT

Gordon reported in absentia a balance of £5,504.10.

He is checking the terms of MCTCC’s insurance and bearing in mind potential risks in connection with litter picks.

13. SEAGULLS

RA proposed hiring a hawking service to deter seagulls and pigeons. Niall will put her in touch with a service used by residents at the Old Sheriff Court.

Gary said it might be possible to get contributions from businesses as part of the Business Improvement District development plan.

Scott asked if Glasgow City Council could put up notices asking people not to feed the birds.  Councillor Millar said this might be possible. Such notices has recently gone up in the Anderston area.

14. NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 29 July, 6.30-8.30 pm – City Chambers.