A COMMUNITY fightback against two new drive throughs in the north of the city have begun.

The Glasgow Times told in July how work had begun to prepare the ground for a Starbucks and Burger King next to Thornwood roundabout and Castlebank Street.

But the scheme has proven controversial and now a local group and politicians are pushing for plans to be dropped.

There are two planning applications for the site: one submitted in 2018 and granted in October 2020 and a second application submitted in 2021 and now under consideration.

The original planning application in 2018 was for a two storey KFC with a single storey Starbucks while the revised plan submitted earlier this year was for a single storey Burger King and a Starbucks.

Owners of the franchises can start work under the 2020 planning consent.

Statutory consultation on the most recent application expired on March 26 and the applicant started site clearance on the basis of the existing consent, which included the removal of around 40 trees.

In response to these actions, a local campaign group Love Thornwood has mobilised in an attempt to halt work on the site.

Their efforts have been endorsed by Carol Monaghan MP, Bill Kidd MSP, and Councillor Feargal Dalton.

Carol Monaghan, MP for Glasgow North West, has criticised the decision by Glasgow City Council to grant planning permission to a drive-through development just two miles from the SEC campus where COP26 will be held.

The politician has written to Glasgow City Council objecting to the development, its review process by the council, and the adverse effects the development will have on local residents and the environment.

Carol said: "There appears to be an alarming lack of community consultation and transparency; groups such as Love Thornwood have made it abundantly clear that local residents are not in favour of these plans.

"I also wrote a letter to Glasgow City Council in March to express this public feeling – evidently, it has not been heeded.

"Glasgow North West constituents are alarmed by the adverse impact the two drive-throughs will have on the neighbourhood’s air quality, traffic levels, noise and litter pollution, and local catering businesses.

"I am dismayed and angered that mature trees have already been felled to make way for the development.

"The loss of valuable green space is totally at odds with the pressing need to tackle the climate emergency.

"Additionally, our local area already has a wide variety of independent, small businesses that need our support after the past 18 months.

"Large, multinational corporations will only divert money from deserving local establishments.

"Additionally, this construction is underway in the run-up to Glasgow hosting the COP26 Conference.

"This is a time when our city should be demonstrating its commitment to a greener, more sustainable economy and way of life.

"It is irresponsible to continue with these plans, as they demonstrate a lack of foresight and vision for our city by urban planners.

"World leaders and change makers will be a mere stone’s throw from the Expressway during COP26 talks.

"We cannot promote Scottish sustainability on the world stage and renege on this pledge at home.

"As such, I have written to Glasgow City Council requesting an update on the status of the development, and the processes through which local communities can actively engage with planning applications."