First George Square statues removed as work underway to renovate Glasgow city centre

The council say they are looking to create a new 'international' square.

Statues have been removed from George Square in Glasgow as part of a huge new renovation in the city centre.

The square is set to have a new lawn, play areas for children and sheltered seating and is due to be completed by August 2026. The statues will be worked on and restored before being returned in 2027.

George Square will be closed to the public while work is ongoing and hoarding with information about the new square will be installed.

Pedestrian access will be maintained around George Square's outer pavements and viewing spaces on the east and west sides will give people the opportunity to watch the progress of the works. Contractors will begin carrying out the work from the start of June. It came as the Robert Burns statue was the first to be removed from the historic square to allow work to begin on restoring them.

Glasgow City Council says it is committed to ensuring businesses and residents are kept informed of any significant disruption, with progress reports set to be made publicly available.

Councillor Angus Millar, convener for City Centre Recovery, said people will be excited to see the George Square transformation get under way.

He said: “George Square’s restoration is a huge and historic project and so much work has already gone into its planning and design.

“Once complete next year, Glasgow will have a modern square with more greenery, improved lighting and drainage infrastructure and a high-quality stone finish to replace the current tarmac.

“This will be a momentous month for the city, with the erection of the hoardings in less than a fortnight’s time firing the starting pistol on a real acceleration of the works.

“George Square is built into the DNA of this city, and Glaswegians have wanted to see its restoration for decades. In just a couple of weeks, they’ll see that start to happen.

“Of course, that means the square will be closed to the public once the hoardings start going up and that will be an inconvenience.

“But by next autumn, Glaswegians will have a new square on a par with many of our international peers, one they can be proud of and one which is fitting of a city of our standing.”