COP26 road closures for Glasgow announced as local engagement programme begins ahead of November event

More details have been released about the impact the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) being held in Glasgow later this year will have on locals.

The Get Ready Glasgow campaign has started communication and engagement work to help keep the city moving and open for business in the lead up to and during the conference, scheduled for November 1-12.

It also aims to highlight the opportunities surrounding the hosting of such a potentially historic climate change summit, including the raising of Glasgow’s profile globally, investment in key sectors and promotion as a tourist destination.

The event was due to be held last year but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. While many parts will be online, there are still expected to be some high-profile visitors, including US climate envoy John Kerry and possibly Pope Francis.

To facilitate safety and security measures, a number of roads around the city’s SEC, the main venue for the event, will be closed.

Exact dates on the period of road closures and when they will come into effect are still to be confirmed.

Diversion routes will be in place around the SEC to keep traffic moving and, as with previous city events, Local Area Traffic Management Plans (LATMPs) are being developed to keep traffic moving for road users.

The closures include:

• • Closure of the Clydeside Expressway from Partick Interchange to North Street
  • Closure of Finnieston Street from Lancefield Quay to West Greenhill Place. With local access maintained
  • Closure of Lancefield Quay from Elliot Street to Finnieston Street – except for service buses
  • Closure of the Clyde Arc – except for service buses
  • Closure of Stobcross Road from Partick Interchange to Finnieston Street
  • Minerva Street – Local Access Only between Minerva Way and West Greenhill Place
  • West Greenhill Place – Local Access Only

Pedestrian and cycle access is expected to be maintained on Finnieston Street, Lancefield Quay and Clyde Arc at all times, as will routes for emergency services.

On water, the River Clyde will be closed to private and commercial vessels ahead of and during COP26. A proposed safety zone would stretch from the first tidal weir at Glasgow Green to a position just east of King George V Docks. This stretch of the river will not be able to host vessels or water-based activities around the summit site.

Meanwhile, businesses are being invited to sign-up for a virtual event to find out about the work being done to prepare Glasgow for the arrival of the summit.

It is being organised as part of the Get Ready Glasgow campaign, which has been developed by Glasgow City Council in partnership with event organisers the UK Government, and also with Police Scotland and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.

Businesses and residents directly affected by closures and LATMPs will receive specific communications to advise and support them to deal with the likely impact they may experience during specified periods, and the measures that will be put in place to minimise disruption.

The campaign also includes further engagement sessions in the lead up to COP26 and the development of a business ready guide, due to be published late June.

In addition, a Get Ready Glasgow telephone inquiry line will be operational after the summer to assist those without easy internet access.

The Get Ready Glasgow website will also provide information about plans to deliver a covid-safe event based on the most up-to-date public health guidance, and what measures will be put in place to protect citizens and the participants in COP26.

As Glasgow gears up for #COP26 we’re calling on local businesses to join our digital event on 4 June to hear first-hand from partners about the preparations to welcome the event in November.

Register now: https://t.co/sru8Uuchhs #RoadToGlasgow pic.twitter.com/2qn8Jh5xKs

— Get Ready Glasgow (@GetReadyGlasgow) May 27, 2021

Ros Eales, Chief Operating Officer, COP26 Unit said: “COP26, is an exciting and historic moment for the city. The Conference will be an inclusive event, bringing together world leaders, delegates, academics, businesses, civil society groups and activists from over the world to inspire climate change action.

“Support from businesses in the city and the people of Glasgow is crucial to making this Conference a success and we thank you, as well as other businesses and communities of Glasgow, for your support so far and look forward to continuing to work with you this year.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The purpose of Get Ready Glasgow is to ensure that business and residents have the information they need to go about their daily lives while COP26 is running.

“Planning teams concentrating on city operations have been established to manage the impact of COP26 on the city; and what impact the events will have on the services that the council provides to businesses and residents in their day-to-day lives.

“If we start to talk about some of the things that may change in the lead up to and during the COP26 now, people, particularly businesses, can begin to think about how they may need to adapt their operations, particularly on the days where the city may be busier than usual, due to the main COP programme or side events.

“COP26 will change the way the city runs for a period of time in November but we will make sure that everyone is well informed and when the time comes people can feel proud at Glasgow having played its part in the success of such a globally significant event.”

Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, Police Scotland, said: “Planning for COP26 has been underway for over a year and we have been working closely with partners including the United Nations, UK Government and Glasgow City Council to prepare for what will be one of the most high profile and significant security and policing events ever held in the United Kingdom.

“COP presents some unique policing challenges but Police Scotland is well prepared for any eventuality. Our main focus will be on the delivery of a safe and secure event and also managing likely activist activity, while keeping the city, and indeed the country, operational and moving.

“Police Scotland is proud to be one of the partners of the Get Ready Glasgow campaign and will do its part to support local residents, businesses and visitors to the city to plan ahead and stay safe, and to help minimise the impact these temporary changes may have.”

Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: “Few events in Glasgow’s history can match the significance of the city’s hosting of COP26. It is an opportunity to show just how much our city can contribute both to solving climate change and to laying the foundations for our next phase of economic growth. There will be a significant and positive long-term impact of Glasgow being at the centre of the solutions.

“It is vitally important that plans are made and implemented to handle the event and its impact on the day-to-day running of the city, and Glasgow Chamber is ready and willing to support these plans in our role as the mechanism to engage with the business community.”