The site of the former Stuart Hotel in East Kilbride will be converted into a convenience store after receiving councillors’ approval.
Elected members at the Planning Committee meeting yesterday (February 15) approved the decision to turn the derelict site into a One O One convenience store.
The applicant sought permission for the retail unit, which would take up 40 per cent of the site.
Councillor Archie Buchannan, for East Kilbride South, welcomed the proposals, and said: “This area is an absolutely eyesore, with antisocial behaviour and vandalism taking place quite regularly, It would be an improvement in the area, and I certainly support it.”
East Kilbride East Councillor Jim Wardhaugh had mixed feelings about the development, and he said: “The only thing I can say about this application is I don’t think we can refuse it, but it is a sad sight of affairs when the sixth largest town in Scotland has a prime site in the town centre and we’re reduced to an application for a single-storey off licence to replace an existence off licence which has since become empty.
“I don’t know where we go from this, I mean the town centre is dying, this is just another symptom of how quickly and how badly the situation is deteriorating.”
Councillor Graham Scott for East Kilbride East, said: “Whatever this develops into is an improvement of what we have currently.”
The site of the former Stuart Hotel is vacant as the building was demolished in 2016.
The plan was supported and recommended by the council’s planning officers.
To use this website you must be aged 18 years or over. Please verify your age before entering the site.
