Glasgow 'open toilet' lane near Argyle Street is 'putting developers off investing'

But he says a lane just off the thoroughfare has turned in to “nothing short of a public sewer” and says this jeopardises his and other developments.

Mr Wheatley is one of a number of business leaders concerned about flytipping, littering and public drug-taking in the city centre during the pandemic.

Over recent months the entrepreneur, who owns Merchant City Brewing, has catalogued rubbish, drug paraphernalia - and human organic material - left in a partially privately owned lane at the Old Wynd between Osborne Street and Argyle Street.

He said: “I have been an investor in Glasgow for nearly 30 years.

“I am currently involved in pursuing two residential developments in the city centre .

“One of the issues I face in trying to unlock development finance and additional investors is the state of the areas surrounding my site and in particular the Old Wynd Close off the Old Wynd in Osborne St.

“This area of town has become a nothing short of a public sewer  - or a public health hazard.

“Within a short walk from Marks & Spencer there are proposals for other residential and hotel developments either on or close to Argyle St,  so the issues affect not only my opportunity to develop residential properties but affect the wider area and the other developers.”

Mr Wheatley’s concerns echo long-standing debate about what to do with Glasgow’s back lanes. Reforms to the way commercial bin collections are carried out before Covid-19 had seen less rubbish pile up in these alleys. And some city leaders hope they can become part of a vibrant cityscape.

Passageways in to such lanes, such as the one in to the Old Wynd, are private property and are not maintained by the local authority. Some owners choose to gate them off. Others leave them. Left untended, they can become focuses for anti-social behaviour, including public urination.

Some city centre fast-food places closed their toilets for health reasons during the pandemic. During the strictest weeks of lockdown they were only operating as take-aways. So customers ended up looking for relatively quiet public places to “go”.  The closure of some toilets also left homeless people with fewer options.

Mr Wheatley continued: “The Old Wynd Close, leading from Argyle street to Old Wynd lane onto Osborne St has become an open toilet and is worsening at a concerning rate.  “It is also used a discreet location for sharing and injection of illegal drugs. Frequently there are used and unused ‘drug kits’ left discarded alongside empty alcohol bottles, discarded clothes and the contents of human bowels and stomachs!”

“As an investor trying to secure development finance for projects that will bring people back into the city centre , the job is made much harder with the declining image and state of the surrounding streets.

“How can I promote modern city centre living , when the route into the location is used as a toilet and an unsupervised injection site. Funders and prospective buyers will want to see the issues with the lane resolved before commitment is made."

The businessman is not trying to make a political point.  He says gates just move the social problems - and the vulnerable people behind them - somewhere else. There are big social problems out there.

“The city, needs to tackle the homelessness, mental health and drug problems in a coordinated way.   By putting gates on similar lanes in the more prosperous areas in town, the number of people looking for quiet hidden allies are pushed down to the poorer, already deprived end of town,” he said.  “The east end of the city centre takes the hit to keep the finance sector looking clean and shiny!”

That last point was firmly rejected city council insiders who remain concerned by heroin injecting in several areas of the centre. That is one of the reasons why campaigners want a safe consumption room in downtown Glasgow as drug deaths reach record highs.

But local authorities are familiar with the substantive issues Mr Wheatley highlights.  “The passageway under the buildings and the cobbled area on Old Wynd are privately owned and the council is not responsible for the maintenance of this private property,” a spokesman for the council said. “However, we are aware of the anti-social behaviour that takes places at this location and we jet clean the passageway and cobbled area when issues arise and when our resources allow.

“We are seeking to identify the owners of this property and will liaise with them to provide what support we can for them to address the anti-social behaviour on their property.”

Street-cleaning services have been severely affected by pandemic restrictions across Europe. As The Herald on Sunday revealed earlier this month, Glasgow’s cleanliness score dropped two percentage points last year, according to detailed and thorough checks by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Edinburgh, facing similar problems saw its score fall even faster. The two big cities are the now the third and second dirtiest in Scotland respectfully. Only Falkirk fared worse. Nearly one in five public spaces spot-checked in the three areas were deemed intolerable.  Cleansing officials believe they will improve performances as Scotland emerges from the pandemic.

“The parts of Old Wynd owned and maintained by the council are included in the routine work of the council to maintain the city’s environment, which has been affected by the impact of the Covid pandemic,” the council spokesman continued.

“We are now working to a recovery plan as we hopefully move on from the Covid pandemic and we hope to see improvements to the city’s overall environment in the weeks and months ahead.”

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce last month said they were concerned about the appearance of the city centre - and distanced itself from businesses which, during pandemic problems, have been dumping in street bins to avoid waste collection costs. The council - which is just weeks away from Glasgow being the centre of global attention for COP26 - has ordered a blitz on flytipping.