A full planning application has been submitted to demolish a former car dealership and create a 60-bed care home near Glasgow.

The proposals for the old Arnold Clark site in Milngavie’s Main Street also include plans for associated landscaping, 20 car parking spaces, access and associated works.

The accommodation proposed would be over four to five storeys including a basement and top floor entertainment suite.

If passed, it would feature residential bedroom wings, communal day rooms and medical stations as well as staff facilities and space for back of house functions.

The application was received by East Dunbartonshire Council on Monday, March 11 and validated on Tuesday March 12.

It has been submitted by architects UNUM Partnership on behalf of Northcare Scotland Ltd, a family run business that has been operating care homes for over 30 years from its base in East Kilbride.

The company owns and manages eight homes across the central belt of Scotland in South Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, East Renfrewshire, Stirling, and Edinburgh.

Orchard Park (Northcare Residences) in the centre of Stirling, which opened in Spring 2023, is its most recently completed development.

As part of the proposals, vehicle access would be maintained from Main Street as per the current arrangement.

The northern dropped kerb access (onto the street) would be entry only with the southern, exit only.

The one-way system, the proposals state, would provide access to four visitor car parking spaces and a lay-by to be used for ambulance access and picking up/dropping off.

As per the plans, parking would also be located north of the building, accessible from the West Retail Park road network.

There would also be a small number of spaces contained within the building footprint, again, accessible form the retail park.

According to the planning statement accompanying the application, the proposed development represents a capital investment of “circa £12 million within the construction sector.”

The site was previously home to Halley’s garage which was established in the 1970s before being acquired around 12 years ago by Arnold Clark.

Following the closure of Arnold Clark on the site, an application was previously submitted in May 2022 for the erection of one open Class 1 retail unit and one café.

This is still showing on the council’s planning website as awaiting a decision.

The plans for the current application for a care home are currently also awaiting a decision and residents have until April 4 to comment on the proposals.