Plan for development in Douglas Valley still live

The plans, which were submitted back in 2010 by SRG Estates, were given planning permission the following March.

However, since then SRG, part of the Scottish Coal Group, has gone into liquidation.

New owners Hargreaves Surface Mining Ltd re-submitted the plans to SLC.

According to the original planning document, more than 1,700 jobs would be created if South Lanarkshire Council gave the go-ahead to a huge development at Happendon Wood.

The plans included a hotel with conference and leisure facilities, office accommodation and retail and restaurant space, as well as storage and distribution warehousing.

The huge 230 hectare site is three kilometres north of Douglas with the Dewars drinks facility at Poneil to the south.

It was estimated that the plans would equal an injection of £33 million into the local economy with a further £18.8 million pumped into the national economy.

For more on this, see this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette.