The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026 will be a major sporting spectacle and the city will no doubt need to look its best. But with the event still two years ago, many Glaswegians understandably want to see the streets tidied up and shining all year round – and not just when the red carpet rolls out for stars and VIPs.
In the past, we’ve seen big events like the 2014 Games and COP26 in 2021 met with vigorous citywide clean-up operations. Yet, once the visitors have jetted back home, the streets quickly seem to get dirty again. Cleansing workers at GMB union say the city has been slipping into a waste and litter “emergency”, leading to surging rat populations.
In Glasgow’s popular Kelvingrove Park – better known for squirrel-spotting – a recent spate of sightings of large rats has angered locals. Then there’s the state of the city centre, which continues to struggle from the effects of the pandemic with boarded-up shops and lagging footfall.
Defenders of the city are right to point out Glasgow is not alone in suffering from these impacts. Covid shutdowns – not to mention 14 years of grim Tory austerity – all played their part. The SNP government is not innocent either, spending those years disproportionately hammering councils with the cuts handed down from Westminster.
But there’s an opportunity now to take a different approach. That starts with making sure councils have the tools and resources to give their residents the streets, parks and facilities they deserve. All year round – not just when a big show comes to town.
Cooling on pumps
It’s frustrating to hear the transition from boilers to eco-friendly heat pumps isn’t going quickly enough. Doubly so considering, as one heat pump manufacturer has told us, the main reason is the Scottish Government’s overly-bureaucratic funding schemes.
SNP ministers should certainly be commended for the generosity of the grants and loans on offer for Scots who want to make the green switch.
Up to £15,000 is potentially available for homeowners, rising further for those in rural areas, to cover the upfront costs of heat pump installations. What appears to be putting many off, however, are the many hoops that must be jumped through to get to this stage.
From a 38-page form, to a wait of up to two months for installers to get paid, it’s clear the system isn’t working as efficiently as it could be. And when making our homes cleaner and greener is so crucial to the nation’s climate efforts, that’s a crying shame.
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