Town Centre Securities submits planning application to council for Milngavie
Town Centre Securities (TCS), the property investment and development company that brought Waitrose to Milngavie, has submitted a planning application to East Dunbartonshire Council to redevelop the former Homebase site following its closure last year, and the loss of 40 jobs.
A survey revealed over 80 percent of Milngavie residents support bringing discount supermarket to area
TCS plans to completely refurbish the store and split it into two units: one for a discount supermarket, and one for a non-food retailer. New pedestrian access to the site from Main Street is included, along with bicycle parking and, for the first time, charging spaces for electric cars.
The plans come following extensive discussions with retail experts and potential tenants about how best to attract new businesses to the site, as well as dozens of new jobs.
Richard Lewis, property director for TCS, said: “We sent a questionnaire to residents of Milngavie late last year, which showed an extremely high level of support for bringing a discount supermarket to the town – over 80 percent of residents were in favour.
“Refurbishing and splitting the existing unit was the most attractive option for retailers, and we have had discussions with several prospective tenants to ensure our proposal meets their requirements.
“We have undertaken detailed retail impact and transport surveys to support the application, and in early discussions with the council agreed this proposal supports the area’s local development plan.
“This proposal should bring around 80 new jobs to the area, which 90 percent of local people were in favour of, according to our survey.
“It’s critical that the council is made aware of the local appetite for the redevelopment of this site. I would urge as many residents as possible to go onto East Dunbartonshire Council’s planning portal and submit formal support for our proposal.”
TCS will announce prospective tenants for the site in due course, once legal formalities are completed with the two brands favoured by residents in the household survey.
