Glasgow city centre will be handed over to families for a celebratory weekend as the refurbishment of George Square reaches its next milestone.

The phased reopening is already under way, with the north carriageway returning to use on 26 June following works that began in May last year.

Plans are being finalised to invite Glaswegians back to George Square and neighbouring streets to mark completion of the western section. Roads will be closed to traffic and feature streetplay and activities for all ages as fencing is removed at the Queen Street end of the Square.

Council leader Susan Aitken said: "It has been fantastic to see the new Square start to emerge - and we want to welcome people back and let them see what this space is going to look like as soon as we can. This will be a weekend where people can walk, play and start to get to know their new square, as the biggest section yet reopens."

Work on the west side is due to finish by the end of August, with the public event planned for the first weekend in September.

Further areas will open to the public as soon as it is safe, with all remaining fencing expected to be removed by the end of October.

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Cllr Aitken said: "People are going to see a lot of progress over the weeks ahead - with statues returning next month, as well a lot of work on paving and planting. Rather than keeping the entire site closed until every element is complete, we will continue reopening sections in phases - allowing Glaswegians and visitors to start enjoying the new spaces as they are finished and ahead of the full reopening in October."

An official opening had originally been hoped for early September, but the schedule has been revised due to a number of factors, notably the discovery of uncharted underground services not shown on existing plans.

David McEwan, Divisional Director for Property, City Deal & Major Projects at Glasgow City Council, said: "As with any project of this scale - and in the heart of a historic city centre - there are complexities which can arise in delivery which construction teams need to respond to and work through. Contractors have encountered various challenges, including the discovery of underground pipes, cables and other infrastructure that were not identified in any existing records - all of which required additional work to address.

"While it is now clear that this will mean that the full reopening of George Square will take place slightly later than originally planned, our focus remains on opening as much of the Square as possible as soon as it is safe to do so."

Footways on all four sides are now largely complete, with the north carriageway reopened to traffic on 26 June.

The Square's 11 bronze statues are scheduled to return in early August, and restoration of the Sir Walter Scott Monument is nearing completion. Granite paving has restarted on the western side and will continue until the statues are back, followed by a two-week pause to allow them to be placed on their plinths.

Works at the eastern side of the Square and at the Cenotaph are also progressing, with stone repairs under way ahead of a final clean.