No 'magic deep clean' for Glasgow ahead of Commonwealth Games

Glasgow’s streets will not be subject to a “magic deep clean” ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a council officer has confirmed.

The revelation was made during Wednesday afternoon’s operational performance and scrutiny committee when Labour councillor Imran Alam asked what the local authority was doing to bring Glasgow’s streets back up to standard.

It comes as Glasgow prepares to host the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games which will take place across the city from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, August 2, returning to the city 12 years after the hugely successful 2014 Commonwealth Games.

It was previously confirmed that Glasgow 2026 will feature a ten-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor.

Around 3,000 of the best athletes will be competing from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories that represent 2.5 billion people – one-third of the world’s population.

The Games will take place across: Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena – including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) while athletes and support staff will be housed in hotel accommodation.

But there are still concerns about how the city will be perceived this summer with concerns raised about how clean and tidy Glasgow’s streets will be.

During Wednesday’s committee meeting, councillor Imran Alam said: “We are hosting the Commonwealth Games this year.

“Do we have a cleaning initiative in place to bring the city back to a standard required to host such a big event of this standard?”

A council officer highlighted that Glasgow City Council received a significant amount of investment for front line resources last year.

They said: “There won’t be a ‘magic deep clean’ before the Commonwealth Games. It is about investing in communities and making improvements year round, day on day.

“The impact of the investment is already being felt across the city.”