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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Holly Lennon

Glasgow Batgirl production 'should make financial contribution' for benefit of local community

Production crews filming in the city should make a financial contribution to the community they're impacting, a community council has said.

Merchant City and Trongate Community Council have said that production companies should work with locals to ensure they see the benefit of them coming to the city.

The group is currently in conversation with Batgirl crews after local businesses complained of losing income due to the filming.

The entire HBO Max movie is being shot in the city, with filming taking place in the Merchant City and Trongate area and set to move over to George Square and surrounding streets this week.

A £150,000 cash incentive was given to the production company by Glasgow City Council to allow them to film the entire blockbuster in the city.

Spokesperson Scott Thornton, said: "Filming, particularly for blockbuster films like Batgirl, bring excitement and thrills to the centre of Glasgow and attract worldwide attention to our great city.

"There are also financial benefits, including extra work for the creative sector, although it can be difficult to accurately calculate the net financial result of using Glasgow as a movie set.

“The downside is the significant impact filming has on some local residents and businesses.

“The production companies have often tried their best to communicate road closures but residents have complained to us about late notice or in some cases no notification at all. In the case of Hanover Street local people were told of a road closure after it had been closed.

“Some residents, including the housebound, have been unable to receive meal deliveries because vehicles could not get near the property.

“MCTCC has an ongoing useful dialogue with film companies, with some tangible results. For instance, they agreed to switch off generators by 7 pm and not start them up again before 7 am. Previously they were running well into the night."

We told how businesses have reported a loss of earnings caused by the production with has left streets blocked off to pedestrians and 'looking like a building site'.

Following a week-long closure of Glassford Street, one business owner lost between £7000 and £10,000 in takings due to customers being unable to get in or being unaware that venues were still open while filming was taking place.

Scott added: "Businesses have reported serious loss of income during filming because access to their premises has been restricted or even impossible. These included several bars and restaurants on Trongate.

“We believe that in recognition of the inconvenience caused filming companies should be making a financial contribution for the benefit of the local community, and as part of our liaison activities we are in touch with them about this.”

A council spokesperson said that any compensation for businesses would have to be organised through the production team, however, locals reported being unable to get in contact with anyone.

Liam Orr, from Soulsa Bar & Kitchen said: "We haven't received any kind of compensation or even communication from the production, despite us repeatedly trying to contact them to raise our concerns. They just keep saying they'll speak to us and then we hear nothing back.

"The extent that filming was going to affect us was played down to the extreme - they never said it was going to be a building site.

"There hasn't been anything done to help the businesses except one small 'businesses open as usual' sign put up."

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