New grant scheme aims to transform Glasgow's city centre

Glasgow Times

a day ago

The Glasgow City Centre Improvement Grant Fund, designed to support regeneration and revitalisation across the city centre, is already delivering visible changes and economic opportunities.
One of the first projects to benefit is a new bookshop and café for Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland—a first for the charity—at the Tontine Building on Trongate.
Billy Farrell, director of income generation at Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, said: "This funding from Glasgow City Council will help us to open our first-ever dedicated bookshop, providing a new income stream to support people with chest, heart, stroke and Long Covid conditions live life to the full.
"We are delighted to work with the council to expand our reach into this part of Glasgow and play our part in the regeneration of the city centre by bringing new life to this unit on Trongate."
A rendering of Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland's café, set to open in October (Image: Paul Kane) The bookshop is expected to open in October, creating three new jobs and offering volunteering opportunities.
The grant fund, managed by Glasgow City Council, provides up to £20,000 to eligible businesses and organisations under two funding streams: Meanwhile Use and Minor Improvements.
Each stream began with an initial allocation of £200,000, which has since been increased due to strong demand.
The Minor Improvements fund has already fully committed its original budget.
Councillor Angus Millar, convener for city centre recovery at Glasgow City Council, said: "This project is bringing real improvement to the look and feel of the city centre.
"It is great to see the first projects to receive support from the City Centre Improvement Grant Fund identified and improvements carried out, and I look forward to the positive changes and economic social benefits that this work will deliver for the area – and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland's first bookstore is a great example of that.
"I would encourage any businesses and organisations with proposals that could be delivered through this fund to apply."
The Meanwhile Use stream focuses on activating vacant ground-floor units in the city centre for short-term use, including pop-up shops, temporary workspaces, and third-sector projects.
Property owners can apply for funding to make their units suitable for temporary occupation.
The aim is to reduce vacancy, diversify the city centre's business mix, and bring activity back to streets affected by changing retail and office trends.
The Minor Improvements fund is open to all city centre stakeholders and supports small-scale enhancements that improve the area's appearance, increase footfall, and align with Glasgow's strategy to boost city centre living and tourism.
Eligible activities include shopfront repairs, community amenity upgrades, minor greening projects, and measures to deter anti-social behaviour.
Applications are open until April 2026 or until funds are fully allocated.
Further details and application forms are available on the Glasgow City Council website.
Several projects have already secured funding.
At St George's Tron Parish Church, broken signage has been repaired to improve visibility and support the church's role as a safe zone for people in need after nights out.
Signage has been repaired at St George's Tron Parish Church (Image: Supplied) A church spokesperson said: "Our project to replace the signage at St George's Tron Parish Church aims to enhance the church's visibility and accessibility, strengthening its role in Glasgow's city centre.
"The new signage will serve as a clear and welcoming guide for everyone – whether they are attending Sunday services, visiting the Wild Olive Tree café, seeking support at the safe zone run by Glasgow Street Pastors, or attending one of the many events hosted at the church throughout the year."
Other projects include shopfront improvements on Trongate, graffiti removal, and vegetation clearance.
At the Tron Theatre, new roller shutters will be installed to prevent anti-social behaviour in recessed areas of the building.
These shutters will be painted with murals to brighten the streetscape.
William Bosell, owner of Bo Peep's, said: "We are delighted to have been supported by the Glasgow City Centre Improvement Fund to undertake much needed improvements to the outside of our store on Trongate.
"Our loyal customers are clear in that they prefer the physical shopping experience and opportunity to connect and engage, bucking the trend for online shopping, and we aim to continue to provide an excellent physical shopping experience for decades to come.
Other funded projects include the Royal Bee Trail, which aims to increase footfall to the Cathedral district and reduce anti-social behaviour.
Environmental upgrades are also underway in lanes and public spaces.
Renfield Lane is receiving graffiti removal, cleaning, painting, and bollard replacement.
A rain garden is being developed at Virginia Court.
The garden will provide green space for the public and be used for educational activities in partnership with the University of Strathclyde.
In the Cathedral area, the Glasgow Cathedral well is being renovated as part of efforts to draw visitors and improve the walking trail.
This project links to the Glasgow 850 celebrations and aims to promote heritage tourism.
Buccleuch Lane and Dalhousie Lane are also receiving greening and anti-blight measures.
The council continues to assess new applications as they are submitted.