EXCLUSIVE: Byres Road Revamp Delayed to August 2025 as Businesses Warn of Disruption

Shopkeeper Urges Council To Scrap Plans and Insists Cycle Lanes Are A Waste Of Money

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EXCLUSIVE by Gary Fanning

A major revamp of Glasgow’s Byres Road has been pushed back until August 2025 to avoid clashing with peak tourist season and summer events—yet many local businesses say the delay won’t ease the disruption they fear is coming.

Glasgow City Council confirmed the project’s contract will be awarded in May, with works now scheduled to begin later in the summer to avoid demobilising contractors during the Glasgow Fair fortnight.

Officials say the delay will also help avoid clashes with community events such as West Fest and allow restaurants and cafés to retain outdoor seating through the peak season.

Bustling.. Busy Byres Road. Pictures by Rosa Finucane

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “The site start has now been scheduled for August 2025 to ensure continuity of works—i.e. no contractor demobilisation during the Glasgow Fair fortnight.

The decision also aims to “minimise risk of disruption to planned events such as West Fest and allow businesses to retain outdoor seating during the summer,” the spokesperson added.

However, some traders say the changes on phase two from University Avenue to Great Western Road will still have a negative impact on deliveries, footfall, and parking. The first phase was from Partick Cross to University Avenue.

Carron McKay, who works at Time and Tide homeware store, said the business relies heavily on street access for collections and deliveries.

“We have a loading bay right outside the shop,” she said. “This is going to affect all the businesses here in different ways. People want to pick up furniture, mirrors, tables—how will they do that if they can’t pull up outside?”

She added that while deliveries can be arranged, many customers prefer to collect items themselves to avoid extra costs.

Other business owners have expressed broader concerns about transport and accessibility in the area.

One local shopkeeper said: “It’s a double-edged sword.

“Any development is good in theory, but they don’t provide alternatives when they make it harder to drive or park. Public transport is expensive, the subway is limited, and they take years to do anything.”

“Byres Road is becoming less and less retail. It has more and more coffee shops, cafes and restaurants. We need a bit of diversity.

“We used to get a lot of customers from the Southside, but they don’t come anymore.”

Another trader was more blunt, criticising unused cycle lanes and calling on the council to focus on basic repairs: “All they need to do is fix the pavements—they’re atrocious. Where are people going to park? I would urge the council not to go ahead with this.”

Last month, The Splash reported growing anger among traders, including University Café owner Americo Verrecchia, who accused planners of ignoring the needs of locals.

“They draw little pictures and think it looks pretty,” he said. “If they’d just asked the shopkeepers, we could have told them what’s needed.”

Asif Akhter, the manager of Print Cartridge on Byres Road, says the business has suffered a steady decline since the introduction of a new cycle lane outside the shop.

After 25 years in the area, the store relocated to Shawlands this month.

Mr Akhter blamed the cycle lane and reduced parking—from 20 spaces to just two near the junction with Dumbarton Road—for a sharp drop in foot traffic and sales, which have fallen from £600 a day to as low as £200.

Not all local voices are opposed.

John Turner, chair of the Byres Road and Lanes BID, pictured above, acknowledged frustration with bike lanes but welcomed improved pavements and streetscape investment.

“It’s a trade-off,” he said. “There’s more activity in the area now, new businesses are opening, and the University of Glasgow developments have helped.”

Last month, the council rejected a petition opposing new student flats at the Lilybank Gardens car park in Hillhead, which would see the loss of more than 100 parking spaces.

Backed by residents and businesses, the ‘West End or Dead End’ campaign argued that parking and access to public transport are vital to the area’s appeal.

The council says it recognises the value of on-street parking but must weigh that against the evolving needs of the wider public.

Council officials say the regeneration is part of a wider effort to “rebalance” road use in favour of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport while improving air quality.

They said vacancy rates for business units on Byres Road are at a historic low, with recent data showing more than 7,500 people pass through the area on foot daily.

“The reality is that the public realm improvement work at Byres Road has been a great success,” according to the council. “While some businesses have closed, others have expanded or moved in—and the area remains one of the busiest parts of the city.”

A new pedestrian crossing is also being installed near Dalcross Street to improve access for students and boost local footfall.

The council official added: “It must also be said that parking numbers need to be considered in terms of footfall – there are around 7,500 people walking through this part of Byres Road every day against the 63 parking spaces (before the works began) that were in place for the 85 businesses there, so the overwhelming number of people visiting there do so on foot.

“Byres Road is also well-served by public transport, with Kelvinhall generating around 2,300 daily return journeys and Hillhead approximately 6,000 return journeys.

“The most recent data shows that there are over 1,000 cyclists moving through this part of Byres Road every day, with 80% using the cycle paths.”

Despite council assurances, some long-time traders remain unconvinced. One described the revamp as “cosmetic,” warning that without affordable parking and real transport alternatives, even long-standing businesses may not survive.