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Glasgow City Council has approved a new High Street Area Strategy to breathe new life into vacant shops in the historic heart of the city.

The new project will see 11 empty shop units on Glasgow’s historic High Street and Saltmarket transformed into temporary spaces to be used by the city's creative industry.

It follows years of debate on the city’s medieval quarter - home to 6,000 people and including attractions like the Barras, Glasgow Cathedral, Glasgow Green, the Necropolis, Provand’s Lordship and the Tolbooth Steeple - being “left to ruin” .

A reported on Glasgow Live , the strategy, which will run from 2019 - 2023, contains a range of ambitious plans to support the area’s revitalisation.

The Meanwhile Space project, launched yesterday, aims to both increase the vitality of areas by increasing footfall and support new and growing businesses. The first of these - the New Glasgow Society, an art gallery, moved in on 21 May, with all of the other units to be occupied shortly.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The High Street and Saltmarket area is the historic heart of our great city. With its rich heritage, resonance with Glaswegians and proximity to the city centre, it has so much potential - but has been neglected for far too long.

(Image: SSPL/Getty Images)

"Meanwhile Space is a fantastic opportunity to not simply breathe new life into the area but to help nurture one of Glasgow’s key sectors, the creative industries. The flourishing galleries and creative spaces in adjoining streets show what can be achieved.

"Glasgow Chamber of Commerce will evaluate this project, highlight the best practices which may emerge to wider city centre property owners and then encourage the roll out of the approach to other areas in the city.”

Councillor Angus Millar, Chair of the High Street Reference Group, added: “The Meanwhile Space programme is a key part of what we are doing to revitalise the High Street and Saltmarket area, providing space for new and growing businesses to develop in this historic Glasgow quarter.

"Given the great heritage of this area, it’s right that many of the spaces in this project are being used by organisations from the creative industries, and I am sure they will make the High Street and Saltmarket an even more attractive place to work, live and visit.”

You can find more detail on the High Street Area Strategy is available here.

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