HUNDREDS of people responded to a consultation on action planned to stop prostitution, drug use and rough sleeping in city centre lanes.

The move is part of a wider city centre strategy which will result in a wide range of improvements to the area.

Last year the city council launched a three month consultation on a draft plan for the lanes and next week, councillors will be told more than 400 people responded.

A report says there was strong support for the various actions proposed with many people saying the first priority should be to improve cleanliness and safety.

One of the suggestions in the draft strategy is that street artists should be encouraged to transform the lanes by painting murals.

A work on High Street called St Mungo has received worldwide attention, generating more than 1.25million hits on social media immediately after its launch.

A booklet suggesting a trail people can follow to see the city’s murals has also proved popular.

When it launched the consultation, the city council said the network of lanes is a valued and vital part of Glasgow’s character and provides an insight into how it was built and evolved.

But a report said: “Many of these lanes are however affected on a daily basis by rough sleeping, drug use, prostitution and anti-social behaviour which in turn affects the lanes’ function with respect to servicing and their overall desirability.”

Councillors will be told next week that there are examples of lanes being transformed into successful public spaces.

However, many others have not benefitted from investment and as well as suffering from anti-social behaviour, are in poor condition with uneven surfaces and unauthorised parking.

Seven city centre areas have now been identified for action following discussions with businesses, entrepreneurs and community groups.

But the new report adds: “It is important to realise the effective delivery of this strategy and action plan is not entirely within the gift of the council.

“This is largely due to the ownership of lanes which can be complex and multi-faceted.

“The council’s role within the strategy is focused on enabling activity and improvements and undertaking demonstration projects directly to illustrate the potential opportunity.

“Delivering this will rely on the support of parties with an ownership interest in the lanes. Without such support, progress in areas of the land strategy could be negatively impacted.

“However, the response to the consultation indicated broad support for this strategy and this will be built upon as the project progresses in order to achieve the best outcomes for the city centre.”