MORE than £2m has been allocated to Glasgow for work to bring vacant and derelict land back into use.

The city consistently has the most urban vacant and derelict land in Scotland, with almost 690 sites covering over 2300 acres in 2019.

Many sites are in the east and the north of the city and their “blighting impact” disproportionately affects communities suffering from multiple deprivation.

Glasgow councillors are set to accept £2.3m from a Scottish Government fund on Thursday.

The one-year allocation will be used on nine projects, focusing on areas including Dalmarnock and Govan.

There has been a downward trend in the number of vacant sites over the last decade, with figures for 2019 showing a reduction of 126 acres from 2018. This is the equivalent to 71 full-sized football pitches.

Councillor Kenny McLean, city convener for neighbourhoods, housing and public realm, said Glasgow continues “to make significant progress in tackling vacant and derelict land”.

“Approximately two thirds of the land removed from the register in 2019 was for residential development.

“This included 750 housing units developed through the council’s affordable housing supply programme.

“The next largest reduction was due to sites being developed for greenspace, recreation and leisure.”

Projects in 2020/21 are set to include environmental improvements at the site of a former gasometer on Dunn Street, Dalmarnock, which are expected to cost £500,000, as well as £150,000 on drainage works for the Dalmarnock Riverside housing development.

There is an allocation of £600,000 for the relocation of the Showpeople sites from Water Row, Govan.

Almost £250,000 is to be used on work on the quay walls at Firhill Island and £175,000 will help to develop greenspace at Cowlairs to complement housing plans.

Improvements, valued at £100,000, are planned for the river corridor, £200,000 could be used for greenspace and food growing in Yorkhill and £125,000 will help to identify and develop sites suitable for food growing across the city.

More than £200,000 is set to be used on site investigations and feasibility studies in North Glasgow.

Mr McLean believes continued public sector investment is needed to remediate sites and ongoing support must be provided to the private sector to address any issues preventing development.

“It is clear that if Glasgow is to continue to reduce vacant and derelict land continued support from the Scottish Government is required.

“The council continues to lobby the government for a multi-year award and relaxation of the 15-year site eligibility rule.”

The programme for 2020/21 could see around 150 acres of land investigated and/or treated.

The Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey started in 1988 and is undertaken annually to establish the extent of the issue across the country.

A council report states the Scottish Government acknowledges the “extent of the problem” in Glasgow and a few other council areas and has a “ring-fenced budget” for bringing land back into use.

Key issues in Glasgow include a “complex mix” of poor ground conditions, fragmented ownership and inadequate infrastructure which “restricts the availability of land ready for development”.

It “acts as a brake on the economic potential of the city”, the report adds.