On Cambridge Street, the tributary that runs into Sauchiehall Street from Cowcaddens, Mr Lim, owner of the Oriental Supermarket is out inspecting repairs on his store front. There’s been a shop serving Glasgow’s Chinese community on this site for more than 50 years.

Mr Lim has been here since 1988 and says he’s never seen the surrounding area look so wretched. He’s one of many shopkeepers, retailers and café owners whose businesses have suffered grievously as Sauchiehall Street and Cambridge Street have been turned into long-term building sites.

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce's Stuart Patrick said works on the pedestrianised part of Sauchiehall Street have already taken more than 450 days (Image: staff) At the same time as the £115m Sauchiehall Street cosmetics have been proceeding, access to the city centre from the north and west has been severely restricted by ongoing repairs to the Kingston Bridge foundations and an elaborate lattice of cycle lanes. A two-way cycle lane runs directly outside the row of shops that houses his supermarket. A trench running the entire length of the street has been added, which we both think might become an elongated flower-bed. Right now though, it’s become a repository for discarded takeaway detritus.

“In the time it’s taken to build this cycle lane outside my shop,” he says, “in China they’d have already built two train stations and an airport.”

A couple of hundred yards further along Cambridge Street it turns into a demolition yard. It’s been like this for as long as anyone around here can remember. “I’ve been here 37 years and this is the worst it’s ever been. We’ve all been told it’ll be nice when it’s finished but you begin to ask yourself if all the disruption and whatever it costs will be worth it.”

He points to what had once been a flower shop next door. It was forced to close last year. “Those poor owners had been operating successfully on the south side for more than 20 years before they moved here ten years ago. The disruption around here and the length of time it’s taking didn’t help them.

“Once, customers in these shops could park outside. But this cycle lane has stopped all that. In fact, some of the cyclists still use the pavements, but when you point to the cycle lane they should be using you just get abuse from them.”

In the 30 minutes I’ve........

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