Could the Barras be moved on in a £27m city makeover?

THE Barras – famous for decades for its trad- ers and bargain hunters – could be forced to shut its stalls under plans that will transform the market into an unlikely cultural quarter.

A council report has unveiled details of a £27million regeneration aimed at turning the surrounding area in Glasgow’s East End into a ‘must visit neighbourhood’.

But it means the famous market, a Glasgow institution since the early 1920s, could be moved to an alternative site.

The report, released next week, warns: ‘Weekend markets and stalls are much quieter than they were in decades past’, although it advises ‘ not to give up on the markets just yet’.

Central to Glasgow City Council’s plan is promoting the area’s growing popularity as a hub for live music and visual artists, with several new venues and studios having opened in and around the market.

To help turn the area into a ‘city events quarter’, the report recommends staging events such as a ‘Barras Festival’.

Other proposals include a potential new Barras museum, public street art and a Barrowland Square. It also recommends using the railway bridges at the Gallowgate to advertise entry into the neighbourhood.

Susan Aitken, leader of the SNP group on the council, said she welcomed plans to revitalise an area ‘neglected for decades’ but warned Glaswegians would be unimpressed should they force the market’s closure.