Glasgow council chiefs have declared staff are working “seven days a week” cleaning streets “both by hand and with mechanical sweepers” amid continuing anger over the condition of one of the city’s most famous thoroughfares.

The city council has issued a stout defence of its protracted works to overhaul Sauchiehall Street, which are causing widespread disruption to traders and pedestrians, and the general state of the public realm in the area.

It follows stinging criticism from Gillian Stewart, chair of the British Council for Offices in Scotland and a director of Michael Laird Architects, who in an exclusive report in The Herald on Saturday expressed concern over the health of Sauchiehall Street and the general safety of the city centre.

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“Currently, it is not great,” Ms Stewart told The Herald, when asked to comment on the current state of Glasgow city centre.

“There is a real lack of care in the city centre and the general condition of the public realm is just embarrassing.

“I actually quite often don’t feel safe in the city centre. Having been a student here at the Art School in the ‘80s, I never felt like that.”

“And I have felt unsafe in Glasgow recently. That is not a good situation to be in. How on earth are we going to attract people back into the city centre because if it is a scary walk from Central Station to your office building, you won’t go in.”

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Responding to the observations made by Ms Stewart, a spokesman for Glasgow City Council gave a timeline on the expected completion of the Sauchiehall Street project and the steps the authority is taking to address concerns over the condition and cleanliness of the area.

The spokesman said: “We expect the vast majority of the work on Sauchiehall Precinct to be complete ahead of Christmas with tree planting due to take place in the spring.

“Both the contractor and council officers continue to engage with local businesses on the progress of the works, which will create a far more attractive environment for people to visit and shop when complete.

“Our plans for the city centre are clearly set out in the City Centre Strategy for 2024-30 and we [are] working closely with partners through the City Centre Taskforce to improve the area.

“Our city centre street cleansing team works seven days a week sweeping streets both by hand and with mechanical sweepers, emptying street litter bins, responding to fly-tipping incidents and other issues, and removing chewing gum. Other plans for the city centre include our continued working with property owners to proactively tackle blight and promote good stewardship of buildings and sites.”

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The condition of Glasgow city centre has come into sharp focus in the aftermath of the pandemic and the damage caused by several major fires, including at Glasgow School of Art. Concern has been expressed about the cleanliness and safety of major streets and the extent of vacant shop units, while many businesses have struggled as the continuing hybrid approach to office working means footfall continues to lag pre-pandemic levels.

The council has faced criticism over the introduction of policies designed to tackle climate change such as the low-emission zone, which some businesses have pointed out has led to many people staying away from the city centre at a time when people should be encouraged to return.

Ms Stewart called on the council to make clear to citizens its “vision” for the city.

“Join the dots, actually communicate what you are doing,” she said.

Efforts to regenerate Sauchiehall Street are proving to be controversial. Earlier this month, the historic ABC venue was served with a dangerous building notice further to a fire at the building in June 2018. It will require its famous façade to be demolished.

Urban regeneration company Vita Group plans to transform the building into a mixed-use development featuring a food hall and student accommodation.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, declared in an interview with The Herald in December that anyone who walks down Sauchiehall Street “is not going to leap for joy at the sights they see”.

However, he hailed the ABC development this month as a “major step forward in the city’s regeneration journey”.