Last week, veteran journalist Andrew Neil took to X to condemn the current state of Glasgow’s legendary Sauchiehall Street, calling it a ‘disgrace’ and a ‘national scandal’.
He wrote about driving down the street for the first time in years and being shocked at what he saw, branding the once world-famous shopping street a shambles. I am more shocked however, that he had the patience to drive through Glasgow City Centre.
I joke, but there is truth to Andrew’s observation. Historically, Sauchiehall Street was a major hub over a mile long, and full of entertainment venues, high-quality shops and eateries.
However, over the past decade it has gone seriously downhill, a situation exacerbated following the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous retail and hospitality businesses have closed, and the pedestrianised end of the street was dug up for years during ‘improvement’ works by Glasgow City Council, which have done little of the sort.
We have seen just last week a £23 million plan lodged with Glasgow City Council to convert the old Watt Brothers department store, which has laid empty since 2019, into a boutique hotel, by Greenock businessmen Sandy and James Easdale.
The former Mothercare building is also set to become serviced apartments, and there’s also a proposal to turn the half-demolished old O2 ABC music venue into a nine-storey block of student flats. Sounds promising, right?
It is worth mentioning that the refurbishment of the pedestrian precinct was delayed and prolonged repeatedly, with some parts dug up again and patched over numerous times. Who is to say future plans won’t see the same interruptions?
And while it’s all well and good to make paths wider and add a few trees, many buildings remain covered in graffiti and retail units left empty. Unfortunately, there is no overnight solution for some of the street’s long-term problems.
Turning older buildings into hotels and student accommodation isn’t enough. The future of Sauchiehall Street lies in mixed-use vibrancy – a blend of food and drink, leisure, culture, and residential activity.
I’m not privy to conversations inside City Chambers, but there are so many other ideas that Glasgow City Council could explore: cheaper units for independent businesses to help counter the dominance of chain stores and high rents, or dynamic pop-up spaces for local artists, galleries, design studios, and community arts hubs.
Sauchiehall Street has a history steeped in entertainment, from cinemas to music venues and everything in between, so surely culture should be the centrepiece of the street’s renewal?
With so many historic structures in poor shape, building quality has become a major challenge. The council could partner with owners to fund exterior repairs, safety improvements and prioritise the restoration of heritage buildings, preserving the character that once made the street iconic.
Personally, I feel there is a key factor the council has not considered when thinking about what a successful urban regeneration often includes, which is a clear message about what the street stands for. Have they thought about what Sauchiehall Street’s identity should be?
Clear identity attracts investors, inspires business concepts, and strengthens public perception, which is what the street needs if it wants to regain the sense of pride it once commanded.
So, will Sauchiehall Street ever return to its former glory?
I hope so, but there is a clear challenge in balancing heritage and new developments, making the street truly for everyone, and whether regeneration will actually translate into an improved economy and not just a surface level facelift.
Success will depend not just on building works, but on how well the city manages long-term activation, inclusivity, and maintenance.
Sauchiehall Street can thrive again by embracing the future with the same boldness that once made it great.
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing more life brought back to the street once dubbed ‘the Glasgow version of Oxford Street’ and, when the day comes, hopefully Mr Neil is around for a drive-by review.
BATTERY JOBS CAN ENERGISE TOWNS
Towns like Motherwell and Bathgate were once part of the industrial heartland of Scotland.
Sadly, sites like the Ravenscraig Steelworks and the Leyland Plant are no more, much like the Proclaimers sang in their 1987 hit ‘Letter From America’.
However, it seems like there is an opportunity for the return of something resembling jobs in heavy industry across the Central Belt.
If it receives government backing, to be granted by energy regulator Ofgem, Invinity Energy Systems hopes to bring 1,000 new jobs to Bathgate and Motherwell.
The firm, which makes battery storage, already has sites in the towns, but hopes to unlock new jobs via the support of the UK Government’s Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) cap and floor scheme.
Not only would this be a boost for the local economy and people in the areas, the company’s CEO Jonathan Marren also reckons they could take on people who have lost their jobs at Grangemouth.
The bold plans see Invinity looking to compete with Chinese technology to deliver vanadium flow batteries, used to store electricity for the national grid. They are particularly useful for storing wind energy overnight.
Innovation like this should be encouraged across the board in Scottish industry, but especially if it means creating jobs and protecting those with skills who have lost theirs.
Perhaps the Reid brothers were wrong and it’s not a case of ‘Bathgate no more’ and more a case of a proud industrial past turning into a bright, green new future.
IRN-BRU MAKES IT ALL WHITE
The bosses at Irn-Bru must be in the minority who are hoping it’s not a white Christmas.
The drinks giant, via its new Christmas advert, has promised one lucky family in Scotland will wake up on Christmas morning to snow in their garden.
While this is a brilliant PR idea from Scotland’s favourite soft drink, can you imagine we get snow overnight for Christmas morning?
It would certainly have less impact if Barr’s Christmas elves were scattering fake snow over the real thing when you woke up and looked out of your window!
On a serious note, Bru bosses have got it covered as they plan to create “a full festive winter-wonderland” for the winners. A ginger weather warning? Snow bad at all!
Tesco salmon supplier suspension
The recent Tesco salmon fiasco has been a real slap in the face for Scottish industry.
The supermarket giant has suspended supplier Bakkafrost Scotland, which operates out of a farm on Loch Torridon, after sea lice were found on some of their fish.
While animal activists are, rightly, up in arms; from a business point of view Tesco has made the right move.
While prices continue to rise for consumers, the least they deserve is to know the products they’re buying are safe and of high quality.
And, as for the salmon farming industry, it feels like real reform is needed in their practices if we are to restore our world-leading reputation for Scottish salmon.
