Tesco’s plans for Milngavie
Milngavie MSP Des McNulty thinks East Dunbartonshire Council should not give Tesco’s proposed new store the green light unless changes are made. Tesco have claimed that the current store doesn’t adequately serve the needs of the area, but Des believes that Milngavie does not need a store larger than the one Tesco’s are currently building in Maryhill.
Des at Tesco Milngavie
The additional floor space for non-food items could put local businesses in the precinct at risk. If Tesco are expanding their store a few miles away in Maryhill, why do they need an even bigger store in Milngavie, with much of the additional space being given over to non-food items ?
The public feel the conservation character of Milngavie would be adversely affected, especially if there were to be obtrusive signage. The current plans show an elevation onto Woodburn Way, although the entrance to the store would be facing onto the car park. To be fair to Tesco, they have adapted their store design to take account of the site and there are a number of design features not found on stores elsewhere in Scotland. But they need to revisit their plans to take account of local concerns.
I will work alongside the ‘We Like Milngavie’ campaign, local traders representatives and the community council who want to enter into discussions with Tesco in the hope that they will adapt their plans to take account of local opinion. In particular I hope they will think again about the size of the store. The Council should not rush into making a decision but allow local people the opportunity to express their views.
Clydebank Co-op has recently announced that they are pulling out of the precinct and their store will close. While this decision is not directly connected to Tesco’s plans there is no doubt that businesses in the precinct will be affected if Tesco significantly expand the non-food side of their business and introduce for example a pharmacy and opticians services.
The Council need to consider Tesco’s application in the context of protecting the character of Milngavie, the interests of the traders and the wishes of the wider public. While I accept that the current store is cramped and in need of modernisation, few people in Milngavie want an out of town megastore immediately adjacent to the town centre.
