Friday July 24th 2026
A sports hall has been included in plans for Glasgow's former meat market site (image from plans by Mast Architects for Meat Market Community Interest Company)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Drew Sandelands
Changes to a planned sports hub on Glasgow’s old meat market site have been approved, reducing the number of padel courts.
Glasgow City Council has given the go ahead to a bid to build a sports hall as part of the wider regeneration of the B-listed meat market sheds in the east end.
The Meat Market Regeneration Community Interest Company — which is behind the redevelopment project — secured permission for a sports hub, as well as a bar/bistro and upcycling centre, last year.
Initially, it intended to provide twelve padel courts, with six inside and six outdoor. The new plan includes six indoor courts only.
Padel is a racket sport, similar to tennis, played on an enclosed court. Balls can be hit off the court walls like in squash.
Plans submitted to the council state: “The proposed development forms part of the wider meat market regeneration masterplan, a mixed-use scheme incorporating a range of buildings positioned around and beneath the historic cattle market shed structures.
“This full planning application relates solely to a single ancillary sports hall building within the wider approved development.
“Planning permission has previously been granted for the overall masterplan… however, due to the structure of the funding arrangements and changes to the associated delivery partners, the intended end user for the sports provision has changed since consent was originally secured.”
The sports hall has been designed using “the same material palette and construction approach as the consented sports building to ensure continuity with the wider development”.
“The ancillary sports building is not intended to host tournament competitions or large-scale competitive events,” the application adds.
“Its purpose is to provide facilities for casual court hire, community use, school activities, and community coaching and training.”
The operating hours of the sports hall will be between 8am and 10pm, which is “consistent with those approved under the existing planning permission”.
A report from council planners explains four of the six padel courts will be within the already-approved main sports hub, with two in the new sports hall.
The wider regeneration project aims to “conserve and renovate the B-listed Glasgow meat market shed structures” in Bellgrove “into a multi-purpose but unified site in the heart of the east end”.
“The renovated and re-imagined space will provide a new sports hub providing the future home of a number of multi-sports facilities,” the original application stated.
It also said the company wants to “re-use hubs, a bar/bistro and covered open multi-purpose events space under the canopy of the refurbished shed structures”.
An enterprise and training space is also included in the project. Wider plans also involve the creation of a “new pedestrianised linear public realm park”.
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