GLASGOW’S City Centre Task Force is to review the concept of the ‘Style Mile’ as retail trends lead to more vacant units and sites

The city council with its partners will take a masterplanning approach to reimagining Argyle, Buchanan and Sauchiehall Streets to help guide future planning policy and housing strategy.

The aim is to create a sustainable mix of city centre uses — retail, residential, bars and restaurants, leisure, culture, public sector.

A priority will be developing and driving footfall on Sauchiehall Street following a number of shop closures.

Councillor Angus Millar, depute convener for inclusive economic growth at Glasgow City Council and co-chair of the City Centre Task Force (CCTF), said: “We all want our city centre to be a place where people want to live, work, shop, visit, invest and do business.

“Sauchiehall, Argyle and Buchanan Streets are at the heart of Glasgow’s shopping district, but we know that the retail sector is changing.

“Securing a vibrant, sustainable future for the city centre will mean supporting a range of uses and undertaking a masterplanning approach will help identify the right mix for these key destination streets.

“It’s vital that we take a strategic approach to supporting areas like Sauchiehall Street, identifying opportunities for the repurposing of vacant retail/commercial units, redeveloping gap sites and reviewing the balance of different uses of property there.

“This review will make a significant contribution to our recovery efforts and promoting a positive future for our city centre.”

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: “Glasgow has a city centre that relies not only on the footfall of local residents but on the wider catchment areas where the population traditionally depends on Glasgow for their shopping and leisure needs.

“As such, our city centre was disproportionately impacted by travel restrictions amid the pandemic, with recent closures such as Next on Argyle Street and Marks and Spencer on Sauchiehall Street highlighting just how in need of a masterplan our city is.

“We warmly welcome this announcement and look forward to working closely with the CCTF to consider how we create the conditions that will breathe life into the core of the city to increase footfall and attract future investment as we continue to grow and develop.

“This is an exciting time for Glasgow city centre and news of development proposals from St Enoch Centre, Buchanan Galleries and the City Innovation Districts will play a significant role in those plans.”

The CCTF’s membership comes from local, national and UK government; Glasgow Chamber of Commerce; and the core city sectors including retail, hospitality, events, the night-time economy, further and higher education, transport and commercial property.