George Square opening will not be 'accelerated' for Commonwealth Games

George Square was a hub for visitors during the Commonwealth Games in 2014

Work to redevelop Glasgow's George Square will not be "accelerated" to get it ready for the Commonwealth Games next year, the council has said.

The square is one of the city's best-known public spaces and was a hub for visitors in the 2014 games and subsequent international sporting events.

City representatives told MPs the central square would reopen "just after" the 2026 games, which would not be allowed to "hinder" Glasgow's day-to-day business.

It is currently surrounded by hoardings, which are scheduled to come down at the end of August 2026.

MPs in the House of Commons Scottish affairs committee on Monday scrutinised the preparations for the pared-down games, which will be held between 23 July and 2 August.

Glasgow stepped in to host the Games at the last minute after previous host Victoria, in Australia, withdrew due to concerns over the cost.

More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete across four venues in a scaled down sporting programme next summer, comprising 10 sports and six para sports.

Responding to a question from MP Angus MacDonald on why the George Square project had not been "accelerated", council head of communities and regulatory services Denise Hamilton said it had taken "years of planning to get to the point where there's a spade in the ground".

"I think everyone's disappointed the square's not going to be available," she told the committee.

"But at the end of the process, we'll have an amazing square for the people of Glasgow and people coming into Glasgow."

She added: "It's been years in the planning to get to the point where we are currently in the process of digging up the square and that, as anyone that's involved with major infrastructure project knows, it's not easy to change the final year of the project, given the amount of planning it's taken to get to this point."

The finished project will include a raised lawn, sheltered seating and feature lighting. There will also be informal play areas for children.

City sports convenor Annette Christie said the council would encourage residents to exercise in parks

Councillor Annette Christie, the sports convenor, said the council would not let the Commonwealth Games get in the way of the cash-strapped city's plans.

She said: "It was very important for the city council, although as enthusiastic as we are for welcoming the games, it would not hinder our day-to-day business and supporting our ambitions for the city and the people of the city, and that's why the works went ahead as planned."

Ms Christie said the council hoped an area on Sauchiehall Street designated for development as a cultural district over the next decade would host pop-up events and art to complement the games.

Asked by North Glasgow MP Maureen Burke what support would be available to keep local sporting organisations and venues open after the games, Ms Christie said the council took a "public health approach" to physical activity and sports.

"On occasion, not all occasions, you do need a venue, but the outdoors is obviously something we should use - so our parks and facilities that anyone has access to."

Active travel was also a priority to "get people moving", she said.

"If we have to co-locate or join services together into hubs that is really the way we have to direct things in the future," she added.

An artist's impression of the redesigned square

Earlier in the meeting, Billy Garrett, the city's director of culture, tourism and events, said there was a lot of work to "dress the city" for the games, but there would be no extra spending by the council.

"The city, separate from any investment specifically around the games, is currently embarked on one of the biggest investment programmes in the country in terms of redeveloping the city centre - the Avenues project, the re-engineering of George Square."

He added: "I think Glasgow will be more than ready to welcome visitors to the city come the summer of 2026."

He said the £4m-£5m investment coming into the city for infrastructure in sports facilities at Scotstoun, Tollcross and the Emirates arena was an "incredible opportunity".

He said it would not be an investment in "elite sports", pointing to the public use of the venues.

Asked if there would be council or Glasgow Life expenditure specifically related to the Commonwealth Games, the council representatives said no.

But they said the scaled-back events were a model for how future Commonwealth Games could be hosted by smaller nations.

Mr Garrett, who also worked on the 2014 games, said the "exciting legacy" of 2026 was how Glasgow was co-designing the new format of the Commonwealth Games for the next 100 years.