A Planning application for a small retail park in East Kilbride has been referred to Scottish Ministers due to SEPA’s concerns with flood risks.
Elected members of South Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee yesterday approved the decision to develop a small shopping unit in Jackton - but the application will be moved to Scottish ministers for a final decision due to concerns with flood risks.
Although the council’s flood risk management service has no concerns with flooding, SEPA have submitted an objection to the development.
The environmental agency has noted flood risks at the site as the major factor in objecting the proposal, revised details have been submitted by the applicants which include easy to mitigate flood risks, but SEPA have not accepted these details.
The council’s Flood Risk Management Team have accepted these additional details.
Councillor Graham Scott expressed annoyance at SEPA’s decision.
He said: "In terms of SEPA, I know they are an organisation of problems at the moment and I looked at their founding statement about supporting local government.
"Here, for whatever reason, given their internal problems, they are not supporting local government and us, because our roads and flooding engineers are perfectly happy with the remedial works which will help save any floods in that area.
"But they are now obstructing by keeping this objection going when everyone else is happy, they’re just an obstruction to local government now.”
As SEPA are the statutory flood agency, the council is obliged to take comments and views into account, the final decision will go to the Scottish Government who are the final arbiter.
As well as the council’s flood risk management services, roads and transportation services originally raised a number of concerns with the roads design and layout associated with the development.
But following discussions with the applicant, revised plans have been submitted to resolve concerns.
If approved by the Scottish Government, the development will see a small-scale retail site on land north of the B764 on Eaglesham Road.
It will include three class one units, which are shops, and one class two unit which is financial and professional services.
The development will also have associated access roads, car parking, external seating and a children’s play area. A new access road to serve the retail centre will be taken from Eaglesham Road.
The facility is intended to serve the convenience needs of the immediate catchment of the East Kilbride Community Growth area, it would enable walking and cycle accessibility and reduce some car trips which would otherwise go to St James Retail Centre as the nearest local shopping facility.
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