Shoppers invited to see plans for new stores at retail park

SHOPPERS are being invited to find out about the latest plans for new stores in the Retail Park at intu Braehead.

A public consultation event is being held in the central atrium of the intu Braehead shopping centre on Friday, May 11 between 1pm and 8pm and the following day between 10am and 2pm.

A proposal of application notice has been lodged with Renfrewshire Council and intu Braehead’s public consultation is part of the process to gain planning permission to build four new units at the retail park.
If the proposals were given the go-ahead, around 60 new permanent jobs would be created with almost 50 of these for staff working in the new stores, the others in businesses that support the retailers, along with 80 construction jobs.

The proposed new units, covering a total of 4,202 square metres of floorspace in the retail park, would be built next to McDonald’s restaurant. But intu is willing to forego the 3358 square metres of retail floorspace the council has previously granted permission for at the retail park. This means that only 844 square metres of extra floorspace is being proposed when the planning permission already granted is taken into account.

Peter Beagley, regional centre director at intu Braehead said: “Our application is in line with the council’s own Local Plan, which promotes the intu Braehead retail park as a place where developments like this should be sited. Our proposals are also in accordance with the wider Strategic Development Plan.

“We hope people will come along to our exhibition stands where we will be on hand to explain our proposals, that importantly will bring new jobs and give shoppers more choice.”