Antonine Centre owner has another go at North Lanarkshire Council planners

The owners of Cumbernauld’s Antonine Shopping Centre have again lashed out at North Lanarkshire Council over the future of the town centre.
Antonine CentreAntonine Centre
Antonine Centre

Bridges Antonine LLP, which has previously won legal fights with the council over its handling of proposed out-of-town retail developments, commented after the Scottish Government overturned a council decision which woud have seen Westway Retail Park given top priority for planning support alongside Cumbernauld Town Centre.Spokesman Tom Tyler of Bridges said: “It’s hard to fathom what is going on at NLC.“Both the Scottish Government and the council’s own planning policies provide a very clear commitment to protecting, supporting and saving town centres and putting them at he heart of driving local economies.“However, NLC has instead opted to support a series of planning applications for out-of-town retail parks which, as the courts have agreed, would have had a hugely detrimental impact on Cumbernauld Town Centre.“Those decisions have caused us to take legal action to protect the town centre, something which is supposed to be at the heart of the council’s planning policy. And the subsequent costs to local taxpayers has been significant, running to tens of thousands of pounds.“It’s hard to understand what is driving this succession of damaging, flawed and, ultimately, costly decisions.

"We certainly do not want to be continually involved in legal actions with the council because its officials are making perverse decisions which fly in the face of their own council’s policy.A council spokesman described the claims from Bridges as “inaccurate and misleading”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He added: “We are committed to investing in the redevelopment of town centres and communities to create vibrant mixed-use centres, with quality facilities and services that will generate housing and employment opportunities and will improve the local economy, all of which benefits local residents and businesses.“Just recently we’ve carried out the first public consultation on our Town Visions which seek to reposition our towns and safeguard their futures as a focus for communities and have received very positive feedback.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.