Cambuslang Community Council has been informed by South Lanarkshire Council that the plans by Morrisons to develop retail units in their car park off Bridge Street will not go ahead. Planners confirmed that “Following detailed assessment of both applications the Council had a number of concerns in respect of the potential impact on residential amenity, roads safety and Cambuslang Town Centre we contacted the applicants to inform them of our concerns and I can confirm that the applicants have now formally withdrawn both applications.”
At the turn of the year, Morrisons supermarket submitted two planning applications to South Lanarkshire Council. One was for a drive-through fast-food unit plus 2 other retail units in their car park. The second was for a tyre unit in their delivery area. Local residents, supported by Cambuslang Community Council, objected on the grounds that the fast food unit would be right up against the wall of the Morriston Park housing estate. The car access route for the drive-through would be metres from residents’ houses with all the noise, traffic pollution, smells and litter involved. There were also issues of traffic congestion at the supermarket entrance on Bridge Stree and serious concerns about diverting trade from Cambuslang Main Street which we desperately need to revive. Cambuslang Community Council’s letter of objection to South Lanarkshire Council is here.
The withdrawal of the planning application is welcome news for our strategy to revive the Main Street. The decision is a tribute to local campaigners, particularly the residents of the Morriston Park housing estate, who submitted large numbers of objections. Many thanks also to Councillor Margaret Walker, who gave strong and vocal support to the campaign. (Our other Cambuslang West Councillors, John Bradley and Ann Le Blond, are members of the SLC Planning Committee and so could not campaign.)