Catherine Hunter

Filming generated more than £166.1 million in direct local expenditure for Glasgow over the five years through 2025, with spending peaking at £57.7 million in 2022 after reaching £42.2 million in 2021. Annual expenditure then remained close to £22 million from 2023 to 2025. Glasgow City Council cautions that the figures vary year to year and are based on estimates from productions or funders, while not all productions use the Glasgow Film Office. The council says filming has contributed around £500 million to Glasgow’s economy over 25 years, supporting accommodation, hospitality, transport, venue hire and local employment.

Glasgow councillor Paul Carey and GMB convenor Chris Mitchell are calling for the city council to increase its cleansing and refuse collection vehicle fleet and maintain spare vehicles for breakdowns. Freedom of Information data shows the fleet fell from 192 vehicles in 2021/22 to 187 in 2025/26, after reaching lows of 175 and 171 in the preceding years. The council said its current fleet is appropriate, well managed and supported by up-to-date records, while acknowledging that digitising fleet data should improve reporting.

Residents frustrated by parking loss have blamed Glasgow’s GMB union for the rollout of bin hubs, but convenor Chris Mitchell clarifies that the initiative was a council decision intended to improve crew safety and waste collection efficiency. He highlights workplace injuries linked to traditional collection methods and says bin hubs reduce manual handling risks. Glasgow City Council states that the hubs were successfully piloted, are being expanded citywide where suitable, and form part of a broader effort to improve recycling and service reliability, with community engagement planned.

Glasgow City Council has approved plans to convert a former nursery on Warroch Street into a 72‑bed travel hostel that will also commemorate victims of the 1960 Cheapside whisky bond fire. Submitted in 2022, the application includes controlled check‑in procedures, nighttime restrictions, secure access, cycle storage and CCTV. The site is described as well connected to public transport and close to the city centre and Finnieston.