PROJECT BRINGS PROMISE OF JOBS
Ambitious development plans
Work on the ambitious Two 74 development in Rutherglen that could create hundreds of jobs may start in 2016.
The news comes as Ashfield Land, who are taking the project forward, have lodged a proposal of application notice with South Lanarkshire Council.
A ‘proposal of application notice’ is a notice that must be submitted to the council, by the developer, at least 12 weeks before they submit an application for a major development. The notice explains what the proposal is and sets out what pre-application consultation they will carry out with the local community.
As stated on Ashfield’s website, the
development will be anchored by a major food store and will also offer restaurants, a nine storey 170 room hotel, 50,000 sq ft sport retail, 55,000 square foot of employment with over 800 car spaces. The value of the scheme is £50 million for a site covering 20 acres.
It will be situated near junction two of the M74, near Duchess Place.
Director of Ashfield Land in Scotland, Steven McGarva, said: “We are keen to complete the planning stage of the development this year, with 2016 being the delivery phase.
“We have been in positive talks with potential occupiers at the site.”
The original proposal had included a nine screen cinema, however Mr McGarva said this may be “difficult to deliver” due to the fact there is a saturation of cinemas in the wider area with facilities at Silverburn, Glasgow Fort as well as a luxury cinema chain coming to the Buchanan Galleries extension.
He added that cinemas tend to be more viable in “larger retail offerings”.
When the plans were unveiled in 2009, Ashfield said it could attract 730 jobs to the area and represented investment of around £50million.
Two74 is located on the Cambuslang Road, around one mile east of the town centre.
The news has been welcomed by the wider community.
Chair of Rutherglen Community Council Tommy Rooney said: “I’m quite happy, most of that site is derelict and with the amount old jobs it’s going to being it can only be a good thing.”
South Lanarkshire Council leader Eddie McAvoy said: “Right now people in Rutherglen are restricted in the amount of jobs that are available. With this development, and the McDonald’s they are building down there, the local economy will benefit from it”
Rutherglen MSP James Kelly said: “I am interested to see these proposals, obviously they will have to go through the proper planning process.
“However, if they come to fruition it is to be welcomed from an economic point of with the amount of jobs it will create.”