RESIDENTS in the city centre have called for more bins and benches to be brought into George Square amid “dirty” and “sad” conditions. 

Members of Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC) argue there are not enough seats and waste facilities in the area to reflect the number of people visiting the space. 

As a result, the group says that the bins are “constantly overflowing” – but Glasgow City Council insists that cleansing teams attend to the square once every day.

Carla Arrighi, a member of MCTCC, says that she noticed a number of seats and bins were removed from the area during the last bout of filming. 

Glasgow Times:

While benches can be moved around at the square to accommodate activity, Arrighi called on the local authority to restore the facilities to normal use. 

She said: “I think the conditions of the square at the moment are incredibly sad – it is such a beautiful space in the city.

“It’s full all the time with visitors and locals either catching up, feeding the pigeons, taking a lunch break or passing by.

"In the summer it is chockablocked with people enjoying the sun. During the last round of filming, the benches and bins were taken away to allow the shoots to take place and although some of them have been returned, not all of them have been put back.

“The bins that are there are always overflowing. The square was once surrounded in benches but there must be only around 10 left now. Now, we can see piles of rubbish – most of it sandwich wrappers and empty boxes from people’s lunches. It shows that there are not enough bins for the number of people who are using the square.” The

There are currently 10 bins at George Square - six are for general waste, four are for recycling.

Glasgow Times:

Arrighi added: “We need more bins to reflect the number of visitors, the space is looking really deprived and dirty. 

“Visitors are coming straight out of Queen Street station and they’re seeing the square as soon as they step off the train. It doesn’t give a good impression. You look at the beautiful City Chambers and then you look at the square and the ground is just swarming in rubbish.

"At the moment, with Covid and the Omicron outbreak, there needs to be as much seating as possible so people can spread out. I have seen a few people having to sit on the grass. 

“I walk my dog around the square three times a day so I have a good grasp of the number of people that are coming into the space.”

Glasgow City Council said the benches were taken away last month to facilitate the Christmas display. 

The local authority encouraged visitors of the square to dispose of litter properly and, if bins are full, to take any waste home. 

A spokesperson said: “Street litter bins in George Square are emptied at least once a day and bin capacity is kept at a consistent level. Benches are moved to and from the square on a routine basis, depending on the activity in the square.

“Benches were taken away to accommodate the annual Christmas display, which was fully removed last week.

“Spaces for People measures have added new outdoor seating around the square and also on adjoining streets. People have a responsibility to dispose of their waste appropriately at all times. If a public bin is full then they should find another bin or take their waste home.”

Update: Glasgow City Council has since confirmed that benches will be returned to the square tomorrow (Tuesday, January 18).