Glasgow Business . 25
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Leaders of workstreams that form part of the City Centre Strategy process explore what needs to be done to improve Glasgow’s performance in key sectors
WORK NEEDED
Picture credit: Glasgow: Scotland with Style Y
our Chamber was tasked with leading the business engagement element of the City Centre Strategy and liaising with workstreams in the
strategic development process – with the aim of drawing up a report to be issued to Glasgow City Council. We were specifically asked to review
transport access, traffic management and parking; public realm development and management; investment atraction in retail, commercial office and leisure space; future uses for older office and retail space in the Central Business District; retail customer experience and night-time economy vibrancy. Te Future of the City Centre Conference
served as an opportunity for the business community to debate ‘initial findings for action’, involving speakers whose organisations operate in some of these areas.
Commercial property
GVA Regional Director Gary Mappin said that those taking part in the commercial property workstream had decided they had to break it into two areas – operational and strategic. On the operational level, there were some
challenging comments about the image portrayed of Glasgow, including the impression of the city centre. On the strategic level, the focus was on the bigger issues – the investment strategy as it affects the city now, and bringing in new inward investors. Funding is a key issue, with initiatives such
as Tax Incremental Financing, Business Improvement Districts and Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas to be considered. Regarding George Square, the view was that we had to all collaborate and make that successful along the lines of what New York did with Times Square.
Retail
House of Fraser General Manager Paul Mitchell said that we had a good city centre, but didn’t look forward enough. From crime and safety issues to the expense
of travel and parking, to out of town shopping centre expansion, the city centre is being slowly strangled. He said we underplayed the
retail offer too oſten, and that Glasgow should be sending out a message to the rest of the UK and Europe that the city was open for business. A vibrant and clean city centre was vital to
retail, with the key issues being safety, drugs, beggars, vagrants, poor lighting and lack of visible policing. Transport and parking costs are chasing people out of the city centre. He said that city centre retailers closed their
doors too early at night, which didn’t sit well with a modern society, resulting in the retail economy and night-time economy failing to meet in the middle.
Tourism
Carlton George Hotel General Manager Duncan Johnston said that the world’s top travel guides had consistently named Glasgow as a place to visit, highlighting the city’s warmth, style and energy. However, we face increased competition
from other UK cities, as close to us as Aberdeen, decreasing levels of business travel, poor accessibility to our city due to lack of direct flights and lack of a direct rail link from the airport to the city centre. Te rise in anti-social behaviour needs
stopped, he said, and parts of the city centre are dirty and badly-maintained. We have stopped moving forward and need
to regenerate parts of the city. We need improved transport links, a managed, safe accessible and clean city centre – now, not in five years time.
Night time economy
For the night-time economy, Two Fat Ladies Owner Ryan James said there was a perceived safety problem in the city centre with junkies – we need zero tolerance of this. He said there was a need for a city centre
management team run by a public-private partnership. Private industry can link with the public sector to provide a company that is open for business. He said that successful European cities
encourage people to come out late at night by ensuring there is always a place to go. People have cars, they want access to the city centre. From 4pm, parking should be free – with a
charge before that. Geting people into the city and keeping the shops open later is the way forward, he said.
Education
For education, City of Glasgow College Principal Paul Litle said that what Glasgow really needs is a future, and the future comes from young people. We need to invest in that talent, and
businesses need to offer support on quality placements and help with course planning. Students provide the buzz, the colour and the next generation of leaders for this city, and they have to be nurtured. He said that Glasgow is an easy city to walk about in due to the layout, but not always safely due to the busy traffic – so in any Learning Improvement District, he would be looking for an increase in pedestrianisation. He said that pace of change was important.
He said: “We can’t wait until the 2014 Games to see Glasgow improve, we need it to start next month and accelerate.” Finally, David Campbell, Managing
Director of Alumno Developments, highlighted the importance of high-quality accommodation for students, and gave a summary of a report commissioned by his company into the impact of students on Glasgow’s economy. He said the report showed students spend £500m in the city each year. About 67,000 people – more than 11 per cent of Glasgow’s population – are enrolled in higher education in the city and the report shows students in full-time higher education each spend on average £6,500 a year, with part-time students, many of whom also work, spending an average £11,000 a year. Quoting the report, he said: “Te
proportion of students in Glasgow is the highest in the UK for any city with a population of more than 500,000. Tere is evidence Glasgow is succeeding in retaining those who study in the city as graduates. Although only 19 per cent of those who study in Glasgow come from the city itself, 42 per cent of graduates setle there aſter they finish their studies. Maintaining and increasing these levels of retention of students is vital to the city’s competitiveness.”
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