Estate agents could be in seventh heaven
Burnside could be about to get a seventh estate agents after councillors approved a change of use application.
Despite protestations from Rutherglen South councillor Carol Nugent, South Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee was left with no option but to allow the former hairdressers at 290 Stonelaw Road to be turned into an estate agents on Tuesday, August 10.
A previous application to turn the former home of pet shop Creature Comforts into an estate agents had been rejected by the committee in January but was overturned on appeal.
Cllr Nugent said she felt “strongly” about the issue and was “disappointed” with what had happened since January.
She said: “My feelings really haven’t changed on this. We had a similar application at committee in January.
“The committee made the decision to refuse the application at that point and I was disappointed that the reporter overturned the decision and granted the change of use.
“From my point of view, I strongly feel that we should be encouraging as much diversity in our town centres and high streets as we can.
“For that reason, I don’t support the application.”
Planning and building standards manager Tina Meikle said the hairdressers had been empty for “some months” and that “we would encourage” any new business moving in.
In total, 178 objections were raised when the pet shop was threatened but just 21 were lodged with South Lanarkshire Council this time.
Creature Comforts has since relocated to a smaller premises across the road and its former home has remained vacant ever since.
Approximately 15 per cent of businesses in the village centre in Burnside are estate agents but around half are retail premises with the rest made up of restaurants, cafes and other class two businesses including a dentist and bookmakers.
Ms Meikle said: “The shop has been vacant for some months and its last use was as a hairdressers.
“There have been 21 letters of objection to the proposal. The main issue of concern relates to the existing number of estate agents in Burnside.
“Members may remember, it came up at a previous application for a pet shop to be changed to an estate agents.
“There are already a number of estate agents in the area, it is a high number – six – for a local neighbourhood centre.
“This represents only about 15 per cent of units and there are a healthy number of shops within the area.
“Given the recent Covid-19 impact on the ability of shops to trade, we do feel increased weight should be given to the economic benefit of any new business.
“Although it is another estate agents, from a planning point of view we would encourage the reuse of the vacant unit and any additional employment that it brings.
“In the previous change of use application I mentioned for the pet shop, there was a loyalty felt towards the pet shop but it has now relocated across the other side of the road.
“There was an appeal regarding that refusal and the reporter intimated that he was satisfied that allowing the change of use there would still maintain a mix of appropriate uses.
“The appeal was upheld although that unit remains vacant at the moment.”