Scott Wright: Closed offices confusing as city centres continue to toil

But closer inspection of this scene revealed the economic damage that Covid has trailed in its wake. You didn’t have to cast your eye too far to get a sense of how much emptier the streets felt, with vacant units a much more common sight than they were 15 months ago.

Outwith Buchanan Street, the retail scene in Glasgow city centre had already been toiling before coronavirus became part of our daily language.

Sauchiehall Street, teeming with department stores and big-name retailers in years gone by, was a shadow of its former self, seemingly left behind as shoppers flocked to out-of-town destinations such as Silverburn and Braehead. The prominent corner site occupied for years by BHS, left to rot in the aftermath of the retailer’s collapse several years ago, summed up the decline.

But if we thought times were hard before the pandemic, they are surely even more difficult now. A short stroll around the likes of Renfield Street and St Vincent Street revealed a noticeable increase in the number of empty units, giving a ghostly feel to a traditionally bustling urban network.

It was difficult to imagine what could fill these empty spaces, given that so much uncertainty continues to blight the economic outlook as experts get to grips with the ramifications of the Delta variant.

The picture for existing businesses has certainly not got any easier after the governments in Scotland and England pushed back their prospective dates for the full easing of restrictions.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon disappointed Scottish business leaders on Tuesday when she declared that “it is unlikely that any part of the country will move down a level from June 28”, given the spread of the Delta variant of coronavirus around Scotland.

The move had been anticipated following the announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday that “freedom day” in England would no longer come on June 21. That has been pushed back to a new “terminus date” of July 19.

Both governments will now focus on ramping up vaccination rates to provide people with as much protection as possible, and break the link between case numbers and serious illness.

Given the turmoil coronavirus has brought for business, notably for sectors such as hospitality and tourism, travel and aviation, it was not surprising to hear Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, say the latest announcement “will be frustrating and painful for many Scottish businesses who were gearing up to make the most of a boom in summer trade over the coming weeks”.

That frustration was underlined by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, which warned of the potential of “another lost summer” for the industry.

Its managing director, Colin Wilkinson, said the continuation of restrictions make necessary the extension of business support such as furlough, the temporary reduction of value-added tax, and loan deferrals.

“Our pubs and bars have already invested millions to provide a safe environment as we all learn to live with this virus and we need to be able to open without restrictions as soon as we can,” Mr Wilkinson said, noting that SLTA members are currently operating at just 30 per cent capacity because of restrictions.

It is certainly easy to sympathise. These businesses are battling to get back on to their feet 15 months into a pandemic which has robbed them of months of trade. Many will have taken on significantly more debt. Now they are open, but only able to trade at a fraction of their full capacity.

But there is one thing that could help. Walking through Glasgow city centre, it struck me as decidedly strange that while people are free again to shop and eat out in cafes and restaurants, those who work in offices are still expected to do their jobs at home.

Without the footfall provided by office workers, huge numbers of businesses in city centres such as Glasgow – bars, restaurants, clothes shops, hairdressers, takeaway food outlets and many, many more – have their backs against the wall.

Yet while people can live their lives in many “normal” ways, they are still not advised to work in the office – even though it is probably more straightforward to manage social distancing in such environments than it is in shops, certainly in bigger offices.

The Scottish Government has announced that a review of its social distancing rules, long called for by the business community, will be published next week, alongside a paper outlining its plans for life beyond the levels system.

With current guidance advising that people continue to work from home even in Level 0, business leaders will be hoping to get some sign very soon for when people can return to the office, even if that return is to be phased.

It must be acknowledged that some workers will rightly be nervous about going back to their places of work. Even taking public transport again may be a consideration for many.

However, employers, such as construction consultant Thomas & Adamson, have been busy implementing measures to allay such concerns by adapting workplaces. Some firms plan to adopt a hybrid model, allowing staff to split their time between the office and home.

Taking steps to gradually bring people back into the office will naturally benefit businesses in town and city centres. It also stands to help individuals and the companies they work for.

Conducting meetings by Zoom or Teams has ensured the wheels of office life have been able to keep on turning throughout the pandemic. But the absence of “in-person” interaction has come at a cost. Creativity and esprit de corps have been suppressed, and the opportunity for young or inexperienced staff to learn simply by observing more senior colleagues in action has been absent. It has also been extremely difficult for new recruits to integrate.

Opening offices again will not be a panacea for our failing town centres, or the country’s flagging productivity. However, if it can be done in a safe and responsible way, it is surely going to help.