The progress, or otherwise, of Sauchiehall Street is never far from the headlines.

In recent days, the debate over the condition of Glasgow’s famous old street was sparked back into life following the publication of some well-considered views from a senior figure on the Scottish commercial property scene.

Gillian Stewart, chair of the British Council for Offices in Scotland and a director of Michael Laird Architects, captured the feelings of many Glaswegians when she declared that the state of the city centre was “embarrassing”.

“There is a real lack of care in the city centre and the general condition of the public realm is just embarrassing,” Ms Stewart said in an exclusive interview with The Herald. “And I’m a ‘Weegie’. I love my city. I am proud to live and work in Glasgow, but the lack of care or consideration for people in the city centre is just woeful.

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“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.”

Judging by the reaction to Ms Stewart’s comments, it is clear that many people share her concerns about Glasgow. Indeed, the state of the city has for several years now been the subject of considerable media attention, as well as a frequent topic of discussion among my own family and friends. It is abundantly clear that the decline, which is especially visible on but not confined to Sauchiehall Street, is giving cause for considerable sadness and despair among people who recall the retail and night-life powerhouse it once was.

While it is natural in such cases to point the finger of blame at the local council for Glasgow’s ills, that does not seem entirely fair. The authority, after all, can certainly not be blamed for the pandemic and all the challenges which have arisen in its wake, including the cost of living crisis, the decline of footfall stemming from hybrid working patterns, and the impact of years of austerity.

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Neither is the council awash with cash, given the pressure on public finances that is evident across all levels of government, and the costs it has incurred from settling a historic equal pay claim, which led it to mortgaging a raft of landmark buildings.

But it hasn’t always got things right, as perhaps officials at the authority themselves will acknowledge.

The council has been pilloried in some quarters for introducing a low-emission zone at a time when the city was struggling to get back on its feet in the aftermath of the pandemic, and over its decision to increase car parking charges earlier this year. Both measures are said by critics to be deterring people from coming into the city, though it was encouraging that council chiefs rowed back on plans to extend the period in which parking charges are in force.

Yet it is also important – and fair – to acknowledge the efforts which are undeniably being made to inject a sense of renewal into Glasgow, which remains a vital driver of economic growth for Scotland.

Major plans are in train to redevelop major properties on Sauchiehall Street, where protracted works have been taking place to enhance the public realm. These include plans to build student accommodation in the former Marks & Spencer store, proposals for a mixed-use development on the site of the much-loved former ABC building, which was hit by fire, and the conversion of the Magnet building into flexible office space.

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An interesting project was also unveiled earlier in the year which envisages a £250 million transformation of Charing Cross. The proposals submitted to the council by CXG Glasgow would involve removing the Tay House bridge which straddles the M8 motorway to open up a “new gateway” into Sauchiehall Street from the west end, and, over two phases, develop new student accommodation, a healthcare facility, homes, offices, and a hotel.

Beyond these individual projects, the collaboration between the council and business community was refreshed this year, as noted by Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, in a recent article in The Herald. The City Centre Taskforce has new working groups on transport, property development, city-centre management and the night-time economy which, Mr Patrick noted, are “all committed to delivering change”.

Responding to the concerns raised by Ms Stewart this week, a spokesman for the council said the city’s cleansing team is working “seven days a week” to keep the streets clean. He said the council expects the “vast majority” of the Sauchiehall Precinct upgrade to be completed before Christmas and that along with the contractor it is engaging local firms on the progress of the work, “which will create a far more attractive environment for people to visit and shop when complete”.

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He also said work was continuing with property owners to “proactively tackle blight and promote good stewardship of buildings and sites” and that the authority’s long-term plans are “clearly set out in the City Centre Strategy for 2024-30”.

The ambitious document sets out how the council will over the next decade work with partners to encourage a “diverse, vibrant and sustainable mix of uses in our city centre”. That incorporates aspirations to double the population living in the city centre, encourage more people to visit, bring the River Clyde more to the forefront of city life, and improve transport links, among other things.

While it would be difficult to find fault with such laudable objectives, the trouble for Glasgow City Council is that people are worn down and patience has run thin. Many Glaswegians are tired following years of pandemic, austerity and the cost of living crisis, and are crying out for more visible evidence that things are going to get better. They want to feel a sense of pride in their home city again and they want to begin feeling it now.

Much like Prime Minister Keir Starmer will have found following the reaction to his major speech on the UK’s finances this week, people want hope now, not a sense that things will only get better a few years down the line.