| Community Cllrs | Scott Thornton; Niall McColl, Ross Naismith, David Hughes, Gary Atkinson, Ros Atkinson, Peter Hayman (Associate) |
| Guests | Kat Heron (2026 Commonwealth Games), Emma Donald (Glasgow Life/Merchant City Festival) |
| Residents | TD, PP, GF |
| Online (Zoom) | David Cowan, Alice Cowan, AC, GF |
| Police Scotland | PC Stevie Gemmell |
| Other | Ava Whyte (Glasgow Times) |
1. Welcome And Apologies
Chair Scott Thornton welcomed everyone.
Apologies: Gordon Millar, Cllr Angus Millar, Cllr Eva Bolander, Bailie Christy Mearns, Gregor McIntyre (from John Grady MP’s Office)
2. Minutes Of Previous Meeting On 26th May 2026
Adoption proposed by David Hughes and seconded by Gary Atkinson.
The Secretary will notify Glasgow City Council.
3. Police Report
PC Gemmell reported that most crime that has risen since last month was youth offending. Following on from last month’s discussion about the sale of alcohol during the football celebrations he said no licensing inspections were undertaken that day for safety reasons. There were 24 licensed visits to public houses and shops in advance of the event and no issues were identified. Advice was given and reminders given of their responsibilities.
There is a multi-agency investigation into vape shops. The police have organised several days of action to tackle e-bike infringements and issue safety guidance. Glasgow City Council (GCC) is looking at bringing in a Bye- Law for tighter regulation. A survey was taken and found there were approximately 8,000 trips by e-bikes on Sauchiehall Street.
Police Questions
Scott thanked Inspector Lisa McDonald for his and Gary’s meeting with her earlier this week. This was the fifth year of Celtic football celebrations on Trongate. MCTCC will continue to try to find an alternative solution and work with the authorities to do so. Gary attended the Licensing Forum last week. Supermarkets can sell any quantity of alcohol if the buyer is over 18 and sober.
Ross Naismith asked if the Dispersal Zone time would be extended. Scott reported that he and Gary had been informed by Inspector McDonald that the Zone had been extended for a further three months to September. Thereafter the decision would be up to GCC.
Ross asked if it could be extended by area to include Saltmarket which would inhibit any celebrations next year.
He enquired if crime figures were collated for disturbances on Buchanan St relating to anti-migrant protests after the murder of Henry Novak in Southampton last December. PC Gemmell confirmed that such figures would have been collected and he would try to produce these at the next full MCTCC meeting.
Scott has had reports that some people do not feel safe now in the city centre, in particular at St Enoch Square, with large group gatherings. PP noted that placing a police van in St. Enoch or near the River Clyde prevents crime. PC Gemmell agreed but the reduction is not significant. There is currently a showground at the Square which does not leave room for a police van.
This Saturday there will be many Orange Walks in the city centre with an estimated 11k people expected to attend. Scott noted that GCC had declined a request by MCTCC to introduce a moratorium on these and similar parades. MCTCC had also sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Police Scotland (PS) asking how much was spent on policing these marches. PS had responded by saying they did not track such costs.
David C noted the many road closures due to the Orange Walks meant drivers in the city centre having to move their cars on the day before the event.
It was announced last week that CCTV will be monitored 24 hours per day in Glasgow city centre from September – a move long called for by MCTCC.
4. Merchant City Festival Presentation
Emma Donald from Glasgow Life/Merchant City Festival reported this will run from 24th of July to the 2nd of August during the Commonwealth Games (CG).
Candleriggs Square will become a Festival Village which will include a stage with live performances and a large screen showing sports from the CG.
In Merchant Square there will be stalls, street food and a bar. Events are also planned in The Briggait and The Ramshorn Graveyard and surrounding landmarks. Installations will be set up on Thursday 23rd July.
Road closures include from South Ingram St to Trongate and from Glassford St to Albion St. However, Albion St has been kept open this year as it has a stewarded taxi rank. Business deliveries are allowed from 6am to 11am. Businesses and affected residents should receive a letter informing them of these. Residents who will be affected are being offered alternate parking arrangements. A full list of road closures can be downloaded from:
https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/whats-on/merchant-city-festival/local-businesses-and-residents
MCTCC will have a stand in the Briggait for both weekends on Saturday and Sunday: 24th to the 26th of July and 31st July to 2nd August. Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) will join us.
There is a clean-up of the riverside beside Glasgow Green (on both banks, with land and water-based groups working from canoes) on Tuesday 21st July, run by KSB.
5. Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 Presentation
Kat Heron from Glasgow CG 2026 gave an overview of the Games programme. More than 70 countries will be represented.
Gary attended the Games’ roadshow event recently in The Social Hub. There are many events going on prior to the games starting such as Wimbledon and the World Cup and after this the CWG will begin. If anyone has any questions they are welcome to contact her.
David Hughes asked about extra transport provision for the large number of spectators. Kat explained there will be additional buses and some trains will have extra carriages on trains stopping at Jordanhill rail station.
More information can be found at: https://www.glasgow2026.com/getsethub
Elected Member Reports
No City Councillors attended this meeting.
7. Community Engagement
David and Alice Cowan have contacted Glasgow Caledonian University to host a MCTCC stand at the Freshers Week in September. Scott has written a leaflet for this purpose, which will be designed by Nettl. MCTCC branded clothing and pens have been purchased for engagement events such as MCF.
8.Planning
1. City Development Plan 2 was approved by GCC on 26 June. This is a 10 year plan. Ross will study the document and lead discussion at future meetings.
(2) Argyle Street (East) Avenues project
Ross recalled that GCC’s Avenues Team (AT) presented their Argyle Street (East) programme to MCTCC on 26th May. There was no discussion on design content at that time.
At the meeting Contractor Wills Brothers was asked whether they had been issued with a robust set of technical drawings that they were comfortable with in terms of quality. AT responded that they had been issued and RN said he would like to see them.
Subsequently, MCTCC formally requested sight of these drawings. AT directed us to the portal where they said they were lodged.
Our reasonable expectations were that the technical drawings offered by AT would be the same quality as issued to Wills, i.e. a clear and definitive set of construction status (RIBA/Stage 4) Technical Drawings, with details and specifications as defined.
In effect, the drawings on the portal turned out to be two plans (only) that were considerably less informative than the drawings that MCTCC had been (eventually) issued with by AT on 30th September 2025 (subsequent to, and better than, the AT presentation set of the same date).
In his view this set of portal drawings is not of the quality that any Contractor would be satisfied with as a Contractual Construction set and are not as requested by MCTCC.
The portal upload that AT sent to MCTCC recently is, if anything, more elemental than the 30th September 2025 drawings and less helpful, and most definitely NOT the Stage 4 quality requested.
MCTCC has temporarily abandoned hope that AT will issue the requested RIBA Stage 4 Technical information, and he has reviewed the two drawings on the portal.
Ross’ personal view is that AT are failing in their duty to fully and correctly communicate with, and inform, MCTCC and the wider public.
Much ‘play’ is made by AT about how AT communicates but this is not the case, and obstacles to full disclosure are put up constantly.
Reviewing the portal upload plans is very unsatisfactory as those proposals are virtually impossible to decipher.
Ross said he wanted the design proposals to be presented in detail by the principle Design Team members and held up to scrutiny. He considers that the scheme as currently drawn is not proven ‘fit for purpose’.
Also on Argyle Street (East) he said there were too many complications to design plans, notable with cycle lanes and especially between Albion Street and Glasgow Cross. These could prove problematic and should be designed out/simplified, to minimise potential sources of danger to pedestrian, cyclists and other road users.
There was insufficient clarity in the proposals, in particular, between Queen Street and Albion Street.
It was not acceptable that MCTCC (and others) were left to their own devices to attempt to interpret the proposals. ST should be ensuring that the proposals are clearly presented to all and any ‘interested parties’, including MCTCC, on behalf of the Public, and understood.
In addition, no Landscaping proposals, details or specifications have been shown
The over-complications coupled with the excessive hard landscaping, with many materials used, mean the proposals are unnecessarily expensive for questionable gain.
Whereas ‘hard landscaping’ seems excessive, soft landscaping was underwhelming. Rain gardens needed to be more extensive, impacting the scheme generally.
Further to discussions and agreements with various stakeholders, and further to the successfully benchmark planting of ‘in ground’ trees in the Argyle Street (West) stretch at the Hope/Oswald Street junction, tree planting on Argyle Street (East) is focussed on planting of mature ‘in ground’ tree ‘clusters’.
3) Parnie Street Area / Regeneration Initiative, He has written for an update.
5) GCC Planning ‘Key’ Applications / Time frames.
– George, High, Shuttle Streets, / PBSA, (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) April 2025 application. We objected to this architecturally, the loss of trees and student accommodation saturation, In December 2025 he was informed in writing that it had been decided. However, it was not known if this was for approval or not. It has not been announced as yet, 15 months later.
– Custom House Quay, July 2025 application. He commended the application and was told 2 months ago it would be announced soon, but has not. It is now 1 year later.
– King Street Car Park, August 2025 application. He was informed a decision would be made imminently 6 weeks ago but there has been no update.
–178 Trongate/ Hutcheson Street PBSA, April 2026 re-application (amendment to conditions). Demolition has commenced. The developer has been given approval to demolish but not for the full application.
6) Maxwell, Fox Streets – Serviced apartments and hotel (19 storeys). The owner has appealed against refusal for planning approval. Decision due to be announced by the Scottish Government soon.
7) 159 (Malocchio)/ Ingram, Hutcheson, GCC has refused permission for a marquee. MCTCC objected to this application.
8) Old Wynd/ Osborne (Ex- Dominus) Site, Orchard Student Holdings Ltd, PBSA. He is seeking a meeting with the developer.
9) Candleriggs, Ingram Street and Queen Street, postponement, update. The hoardings are still in place, hopefully it will be finished soon.
10) St Enoch Square (East) to Stockwell Street/ Regeneration Initiative, He and Scott are due to meet the new Centre Director when that person takes up the post at the end of July.
11) Granite House, Stockwell Street, re-application/MCTCC
Ross noted how he had dissented from objections to these applications which were lodged earlier this month by the Secretary on behalf of MCTCC. This stated that we continue to have serious concerns about the preponderance of PBSA in our area. The forecast shortfall in student beds has been shown to be exaggerated.
Objection submitted. Pending.
9.Licensing
Gary Atkinson reported there were no relevant applications this month.
Scott noted the TRNSMT music festival attendees left behind a large amount of litter in the city centre. Does GCC get compensated by DF Events for the cost of the clean up? The demographic of attendees appears to be getting younger. MCTCC and Calton CC are concerned about the commercialisation of Glasgow Green.
10.Local Place Plan (LPP)
GCC has validated MCTCC’s LPP. It is available to view on our website, along with our planning policies. Scott thanked David H, Ross and Niall for their work. David C will make enquiries about getting printed copies.
It ties in with the City Development Plan 2 (See above). A three month consultation period begins in late August and MCTCC will contribute to this.
David Hughes has commended Blythswood and Broomielaw CC’s LPP, recently shared.
11.Friends Of Ramshorn Graveyard (FoRG)
David Hughes reported there are 47 tours booked, of which he has completed 19. FoRG has received £661 in donations to date. One of the new tour guides is looking into the genealogy of those buried there. The next meeting of the group will be on the 15th July.
The tours are available on the Eventbrite website and can also be booked by emailing tours@ramshorngraveyard.org
11. External Groups
Area Partnership (AP) – David Hughes reported the AP previously informed him our area had been awarded £104,768 for benches, trees and £25k for the Tron Theatre steeple. However, at the 30th April AP meeting it came to light there was only £45,000 allocated. The Chair and David Hughes have contacted Bailie Mearns, Chair of AP, to discuss.
Part of our AP budget was for the removal of 3 dead trees and replacement. They have been taken away but new trees have not been planted.
Gary and Ros initiated a grant of £25,000 from the AP for the Tron steeple two years ago and it is only now being granted. Scott is discussing this with the Theatre Director.
Glasgow Community Councils Federation (GCCF) – David Cowan attended the inaugural meeting. The mission statement was agreed and office bearers voted in. The next meeting will be in September; details to follow.
12.Treasurer’s Report
Gordon Millar (Treasurer) could not make this meeting but sent a report. The MCTCC bank balance as of 28th of June, 2026, was £8,484.25.
13. AOCB
Unresolved Noise Pollution Issues – Scott has received several reports of noise pollution which seem not to be taken seriously by GCC:-
- the noise from an extractor fan at the Madras Café on Stockwell St has caused complaints. However, an environment Officer attended and reported the noise to be acceptable. Scott is taking the matter further. The noise is near constant from 11 am to 11 pm.
- the early morning collection of glass and general refuse by bin lorries is awakening local residents. This has been a long-term problem and still no solution has been found. Niall noted other CCs LPPs have noted similar issues.
Filming – A resident of Parnie St was unhappy with recent filming of the Meantime production which prevented him entering his residence at night. He noted they filmed later than they were notified. Scott has been in contact with Glasgow Film Office and the film production team on his behalf and the second filming session during the daytime went ahead without incident. It is understood several other movies are likely to be filmed in Glasgow soon. Greater consultation with residents and businesses will be required.
Media – Scott reported on an article in The Herald by Marissa McWhirter on the 26th of June, agreeing with many of this Community Council’s policies, entitled ‘Glasgow wants 40,000 city centre residents but is still planning a student campus’. It notes there are already 20,500 students beds in the city.
The next litter pick is scheduled for Sunday 9 August. This has been advised to Ward Councillors and some of our partners including the Social Hub, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Southside Action Group.
14. DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
Tuesday 28th July 2026 – 6.30-8.30pm in City Chambers.