City Deal Funding Boost to Regenerate Historic Meat Market

Plans to transform Glasgow's vacant Meat Market site into a multi-use space and linear park have been boosted by a £4.486m City Deal grant - including £1.9m each from the UK and Scottish governments.

And with planning permission and a long-term lease for the site recently granted by the council, the creation of a thriving hub for community, sport and local business beneath the canopy of the B-Listed Meat Market sheds can now forge ahead, following initial restoration work.

The award of City Deal funding from the council will go to the Meat Market Regeneration Community Interest Company (CIC) - the organisation behind the redevelopment of the historic site in Bellgrove which has lain dormant since the 1990s.

The derelict Victorian sheds will be developed into a flexible site to include sports facilities, a bar and bistro, event space, a learning centre and an enterprise incubator to support small businesses.

A community growing space is also planned, and the B-Listed Meat Market Superintendent's House will be stabilised ahead of its future development as an active travel hub.

The linear park will offer an appealing active travel route between Bellgrove Street and Melbourne Street, enhanced by tree planting and raingardens. And a wide-ranging heritage activity programme is also planned on site to encourage community involvement and help preserve its rich history.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: "Building on investment we have already made, we are contributing £5.6 million to this project to provide a bustling hub in the heart of Glasgow's East End where people can shop, work and socialise. 

"This adds to the work we are supporting to transform disused land across the East End into places where people can live, businesses can invest, and communities are able to thrive.

"To create jobs and tackle poverty, the Scottish Government is providing £62.15 million towards regeneration projects over the course of this financial year. These initiatives will help to revitalise town centres, derelict sites and green spaces to benefit people across Scotland."

UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill added: "I'm delighted that £1.9 million UK Government funding will help transform this derelict Glasgow site into a thriving hub for community, sport and local businesses. This is our Plan for Change in action - investment to drive economic growth and improve lives by building a fairer country with equal opportunities for all. By genuine partnership working with the Scottish Government and local partners here and across Scotland we will deliver a decade of national renewal."

Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Region Cabinet said: "I am delighted that City Deal funding will contribute toward this fantastic project which will see heritage assets brought back into positive use and the transformation of this key site which has lain dormant for many years.

"Re-imagining the listed Meat Market sheds into a flexible, accessible space for communities and businesses will deliver both local and wider benefits, whilst the new linear park running through the site will improve its connectivity to the city centre and wider neighbourhood, and provide attractive, safer routes that encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle."

Patrick Flynn, Chair of the Meat Market Community Interest Company said: "Our Board is delighted the City Deal Fund has appraised our project as worthy of this significant investment. We have undertaken significant community consultation to ensure that the proposed works at the Meat Market reflect the aims of local people in terms of community use and job and training opportunities.  Our Board are striving to successfully develop the exciting projects that make up this significant regeneration initiative."

Plans to transform the vacant site follow earlier City Deal funded site remediation activity to unlock its development potential. And more recently, vacant land next to the Meat Market has seen significant new house building, with 251 mid-market rental units delivered by the HOME Group.

Save for City Deal backing, all other funding to take the project forward, including National Lottery Heritage Fund support, has been secured by Meat Market Regeneration CIC.

The creation of the new linear park and refurbishment of the listed sheds are expected to be the first elements of the project to be delivered on site.

The Glasgow City Region Deal was signed in 2014. The £1.2 billion investment in the Deal is made up of £520 million each from the Scottish and UK Governments and £130 million from the region's eight local authorities.

Background Information

The Glasgow Meat Market was established in 1879 and covers six acres. It initially housed an inn, sheds and accommodation for livestock and was one of the last remaining markets in the country before closing in the 1980s. The area has been vacant since the 1990s when the car auction, which was present on the site for several years, closed.

Occupying a strategic position on one of the main routes connecting the east end with the city centre, the Meat Market site redevelopment is a key element of the £27m City Deal Collegelands Calton Barras project. The project aims to bring vacant and derelict land back into use, build new homes, create commercial and community space, enhance the public realm and improve connectivity.

You can read more about the grant award in the paper presented to the council's City Administration Committee on 27 February 2025.