Business resilience themes: Place

Business Profile

Possilpark has experienced significant changes over recent years as is similar for many town centre areas throughout Scotland. It has a consistent, high-ranking position in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation which exacerbates day to day challenges for businesses. Litter, fly-tipping, crime, feelings of safety alongside access issues are a problem for many businesses.

The rise in energy costs is putting more pressure on businesses and the impacts of climate change add even more pressure. The town centre requires a continued coordinated response from all businesses to address these problems.

The Possilpark BID is branded as Remaking Saracen

Climate impacts

Possilpark is exposed to a number of climate risks which have affected businesses in recent years. These include:

• Flooding in the high street: Saracen Street forms the main high street in Possilpark, and the area has faced significant and repeated flooding in recent years. Even on dry days, there are often multiple areas of pooled water, often blocking access for disabled residents and customers, resulting in reduced customer footfall. This is also linked to litter issues, where wind has caused litter to spill into the street and clog up drains.
• Overheating in outdoor areas: While businesses haven’t faced significant issues with indoor heat stress, this has been an issue for the areas around Saracen Street, including Millennium Square where there is little shade nor green space available. This has made it less attractive for people to use take-away food outlets nearby, or to spend time in the area and continue to shop throughout the day.
• Extreme wind and storms: Residents described Saracen Street as a ‘wind tunnel’, making it a less pleasant place to spend time. The lack of trees and shelter has exacerbated this issue, and some damage to shop fronts and buildings has occurred.

Actions taken

In 2024 the Possilpark Business Improvement District took part in a pilot project as part of Glasgow City Council’s Green Business Support programme, which helps local companies transition to Net-Zero, reduce their energy costs and become more resilient to climate change. As part of this project, the sustainability charity Sniffer supported the Business Improvement District to understand its climate risks and prioritise the resilience actions the business can take.

This included a collaborative climate risk and opportunities mapping event. This brought together members of the Business Improvement District, customers, and local residents associations to collectively map key hazards, and identify potential actions to improve business resilience and make Saracen Street and the surrounding area a more pleasant, inviting, and thriving place. A graphic illustrating the hazards and opportunities was produced, and is being used to inform the next stage of plans for the Possilpark Business Improvement District.

An illustration from the climate risk and opportunities mapping event in February 2024

Business resilience themes: Premises, People, Processes

Business Profile

Film City Glasgow is a vital production base for much of the feature film and television industry within Scotland.

The facilities comprise of production office space, studio/build space, workshop areas, rehearsal/meeting rooms, a café and creative business officers. It is home to over 25 permanent tenants from the screen and wider creative industries. It also has flexible low-cost short-term space hire. Users of the space include Film City Glasgow workers, tenants, short term production teams, freelancers, interns, and occasionally members of the public.

The core of the site is the Victoria-era former Govan Town Hall, a Category B listed building. The redevelopment of the site has retained many of the original features of the building. A new extension was added in 2008.

Climate impacts

Film City Glasgow is exposed to a number of climate risks which have affected the businesses operations in recent years . These include:

• Disruption for freelancers and lone workers: Production company teams often include a high proportion of freelancers whose job security may be precarious, for example when schedules are interrupted or delayed because of extreme weather events. Reducing the likelihood and or extent of delays is financially beneficial to production companies and their freelancers. Out of hours lone working is common, especially in post-production. Lone workers can be at risk on large complex multi-use sites from extreme weather events because their whereabouts may be unknown.
• Flooding to basement and outdoor areas: The boiler plant, main electricity supply to the building and the switch gear are in the basement, which has experienced flooding. More significant flooding is possible, as building is in a medium flood risk area, which could cause significant damage to both the building and critical infrastructure.
• Storm and freeze/thaw damage to external masonry: The building has ornate sandstone features and details. Several elements of the building require maintenance or reinstatement works to maintain their structural integrity to be resilient to extreme weather conditions.

Actions taken

In 2023 Film City Glasgow took part in a pilot project as part of Glasgow City Council’s Green Business Support programme, which helps local companies transition to Net-Zero, reduce their energy costs and become more resilient to climate change.

As part of this project, the sustainability charity Sniffer supported Film City Glasgow to understand its climate risks and prioritise the resilience actions the business can take. These included:

• Wellbeing, and health and safety policies: climate change risks and resilience actions have been integrated into the organisation’s health and safety policies and plans. This has included input from the individuals working in the facility and their support and health and safety requirements from the risks posed by climate change impacts.
• Business risk assessment: The potential risks associated with the climate change hazards identified in the work with Sniffer has helped to strengthen Film City Glasgow’s approach to business risk assessments, and identified a number of actions they can take immediately to ensure all relevant risk are considered. This has included more comfortable temperatures in all areas of the building for all users.
• Flood risk management: Critical items are raised on a 30cm concrete plinth to minimise flood damage. Film City Glasgow are also exploring further flood prevention measures, and have signed up to the SEPA flood alert system.