Firms urge action on eyesore

Several companies are said to be losing valuable trade because of a derelict garage the owners have failed to clean up or demolish – and a council amenity order for the site runs out on October 2.

Now Chryston and Muirhead companies have started a petition demanding action, and have already gathered 170 names.

Strathkelvin councillor John McLaren, who has repeatedly tried to gain progress on the “eyesore” site, said he fully shares local people’s concerns.

“Of course this has to be sorted,” he said. “There are great things happening in Muirhead and this is a problem that has to be solved for everyone’s good.”

Chryston and Muirhead Business Community chairman Ian Osborne said: “We need to know first when we can expect to see action to enforce the amenity order, and beyond that we need to find out what the plan for the site is, and whether there is a plan.

“Every attempt to get an answer has failed. We don’t know what, if anything, the people concerned plan to do.”

As reported in the Herald back in June the site had to be camouflaged during the Commonwealth Games.

Councillor McLaren said that when the cycling event passed through the village during Glasgow 2014 North Lanarkshire Council had to screen the garage off .

If there’s no sign of remedial action taking place when the amenity notice expires the council could opt to do the work themselves, then recoup the money.

Originally planned to be transformed into some kind of shop it has lain derelict for months with no sign of any progress.

The council issued an Amenity Notice to the owner of the site on September 3.

This requires the owner to take steps to improve the condition of the land: to remove dumped material, weeds and the totem sign; and to erect a two- metre high timber screen fence along the boundary of the site with Cumbernauld Road.

Thenotice takes effect on the 2 October 2015, unless an appeal is made to the Scottish Ministers beforehand.