Study of late night economy planned as numbers in parts of city decline
By Gillian McKenzie
A STUDY of Glasgow’s late night economy is to be carried out after new figures revealed a “significant” drop in footfall in parts of the city centre.
Glasgow licensing forum agreed that figures for the wider city centre are needed to allow a more accurate assessment of the apparent decline in footfall and the economic impact.
It comes after a report by Community Safety Glasgow showed footfall at two of the city’s Nite Zones, which include taxi marshalls and extended CCTV, had fallen in the run-up to Christmas.
The number of people at the Gordon Street Nite Zone was down 35% on the same period in 2012, while the number of revellers using the Nite Zone on Sauchiehall Street was said to have dropped 26%. Nite Zones on Byres Road and Albion Street saw a marginal increase in numbers, up 1.3% and 1.9% respectively.
At a meeting of the licensing forum, concerns were expressed regarding the drop in footfall at Gordon Street and Sauchiehall Street. The forum agreed that figures for the city centre as a whole are needed to fully assess the situation.
Convener of the forum, nightclub owner Donald MacLeod, told SLTN the numbers are “concerning”.
“They are Nite Zone figures but it is worrying because Gordon Street and Sauchiehall Street are the two main areas,” he said.
“But these figures on their own don’t tell us enough.
“We need an independent appraisal of the late night economy and we’re looking at the best way of doing that.”
