New public car park for Neilston?

Councillors are recommended to back the transfer of ownership of the car park behind the shops in Neilston so the authority can provide a 14-space public car park.

They are also asked to support a transfer of land at the front of the shops, which would be used as a public space. Both acquisitions would have no cost.

The land was leased by Renfrew District Council to six shopkeepers, who built the car park for customer use, for 99 years in 1981.

But a report to the council states “as time progressed it became apparent that the arrangement posed challenges for both parties”.

These included “continuous disputes” over rent reviews, difficulty agreeing a maintenance arrangement for the car park and its increasing use by people not visiting the shops.

In 2013, councillors agreed to dispose of the council’s lease and a £50,000 sale to the shopkeepers was agreed in January 2016.

The report states: “It was hoped that the process would resolve the issue of maintenance and upkeep. It has failed to do so.

“Currently, the shopkeepers feel that they are required to maintain a car park that is used as a public car park for the whole village a frontage that is similarly used by the wider public.

“While the shopkeepers could restrict access to the car park this would be to the detriment of the wider village.

“It has therefore been concluded that the best resolution would be to avoid at all costs restricted access to the car park.

“The continuation of the status quo would be to the detriment of the visual amenity of the wider village.”

The council sees “considerable advantages” in taking ownership of the land.

“This would clearly facilitate the wider regeneration/masterplanning of the village in the future including the provision of high quality civic space and public parking in Neilston village centre.

“Importantly, this area could form a strategic access point into the St Thomas’s school site when it is vacated.”

The ownership of shops, and the land they’re on, would remain with the shop owners.

The car park would be upgraded with resurfacing, a footway linking to Broadlie Court, renewal of existing street lighting and provision of road markings.

It is estimated to cost around £40,000 but, as upgrading would also include the loading bays for the shops, the shop owners would pay 25 per cent of the costs.