THIS COULD FINISH OFF MAIN STREET
New retail plans anger Cambuslang folk
New retail units and a fast food drive-thru in the car park of Morrisons Cambuslang would further threaten the viability of the town’s Main Street, Cambuslang residents have said.
Morrisons is seeking planning permission to build the fast food outlet and two other retail units along the boundary wall with Morriston Park Drive.
Cambuslang Community Council say they have “grave concerns” about any development that could draw business away from Cambuslang Main Street.
And people who live next to the store giant have dubbed the proposals as “unacceptable and unbelievable”.
Residents of Newpark Crescent, Kincaid Gardens and Newgrove Gardens say the fast food outlet would lead to an increase in traffic, noise, pollution and litter.
New retail units and a fast food drive-thru in the car park of Morrisons Cambuslang would further threaten the viability of the town’s Main Street, Cambuslang residents have said.
Morrisons is seeking planning permission to build the fast food outlet and two other retail units along the boundary wall with Morriston Park Drive, with a car village also proposed for the car park.
But locals have vowed to fight the proposals in the same week a petition calling for the regeneration of Cambuslang Main Street was submitted to South Lanarkshire Council.
John Bachtler, treasurer of Cambuslang Community Council, said: “We will discuss the application at our next Cambuslang Community Council meeting but there is likely to be serious concern about the proposal.
“We have major concerns about any development that draws business away from Cambuslang Main Street. We have been working to persuade South Lanarkshire Council of the need for a strategy to revive the town centre and the last thing we need is any approval of new retail units that will cause still more problems for the viability of existing businesses on the Main Street.”
Community councillors and those living in homes neighbouring Morrisons are hoping South Lanarkshire Council’s policy on town centres and retail will see the proposals rejected.
It states developments which undermine the vitality and viability of town or neighbourhood centres are not to be supported.
Pauline Elliott, head of planning and economic development, said: “No decision has been made on either of the planning applications at the present time.
“The proposals are located within an area that is allocated as an out of centre commercial location in the adopted South Lanarkshire Local Development Plan. When assessing the applications, the planning service will take into account the relevant local plan policies, any representations from the public, and comments from statutory consultees.
“Any potential impact on the town centre is one of the matters which will be considered. This is set out in policy 10 new retail/commercial proposals of the South Lanarkshire Local Development Plan.”
Morriston Park Drive residents have meanwhile described Morrisons’ proposals as “unacceptable and unbelievable”.
Brian Fisher said his neighbours in Newpark Crescent, Kincaid Gardens and Newgrove Gardens are all up in arms.
He said: “Obviously there are a number of concerns but the increase in traffic, noise and pollution are the three major ones, along with the eyesore of Morrisons car park becoming a retail outlet.
“The infrastructure as it stands is very questionable so adding numerous more vehicles to it would cause utter chaos, especially exiting Morrisons.
“We then have noise, pollution, privacy, rubbish being tossed everywhere, including over the boundary wall, vermin, loitering, loss of jobs in the Main Street and Morrisons’ cafe, loss of value in property, and the list is endless.”
A Morrisons spokeswoman said: “We always look for ways to improve shopping trips for our customers and at Cambuslang, if approved, the proposals would offer easily accessible shops customers should find useful and create a number of new jobs.
“We will continue to listen to the comments raised by our neighbours and welcome discussions with South Lanarkshire Council to address these concerns.”