It’s a square go for big upgrade plan

Nov 7 2007 East Kilbride News

ST Leonards Square is to be given an upgrade despite fears it will harm small local traders.

The proposal to redevelop the square includes a plan to build a massive supermarket which some say will kill off many of the area’s existing traders and lead to a detrimental impact on the wider community.

Earlier this year the News told how some retailers claimed they were forced to vacate their premises by the square’s owners JSB Holdings, in preparation for the move.

This was denied by JSB which said replacement sites were offered to the businesses, which they refused to take up.

However, despite the fears — along with objections by St Leonards Community Council about the intention to close the local neighbourhood centre — South Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee gave the plan the green light yesterday (Tuesday).

While the general upgrade has been welcomed, some are unhappy about its scale, particularly the 38,000 square feet supermarket, which will be almost double the size of the existing Somerfield in the square.

The project will also include six smaller shopping units, the existing library being moved to the eastern edge of the site and more car parking spaces.

Local Green Party activist Kirsten Robb made a detailed representation to the planning committee prior to the decision.

She said afterwards: “Three local businesses have already closed or moved elsewhere and there are less small business units in the new proposals.

“Research by the Federation of Small Businesses showed when a supermarket opens, small businesses close resulting in less choice for the consumer.

“Other research by the New Economic Foundation showed 90 pence in the pound goes out of the local economy with a supermarket, and that keeping local businesses means a pound doubles its value through local spend and suppliers.

“I share local businesses plea for space to be made available for them to help keep money in the local economy and offer people something a bit different.”

Other objectors expressed concerns about the proposed uses of the smaller units, saying the area did not need more fast food outlets or off-licences.

However, the council’s planning officers dismissed the concerns.

They pointed to the fact a Retail Impact Assessment, carried out by JSB, supported a larger supermarket.

On the loss of the neighbourhood centre, they said a new facility would be provided at the nearby Blacklaw Primary School.

The centre was opened in the late 1960s by East Kilbride Development Corporation, although it is now privately owned by JSB.

Jack Smith from JSB said: “We’ve only been granted outline planning permission so there’s still some way to go.

“We haven’t started talks with any supermarket yet so we can’t say which one will occupy the new space at this stage.

“One of the six units will be a chip shop, but there’s already one in the square.”