Councillors have given the go-ahead for the controversial redevelopment of a former car dealership in Milngavie.

THM Scotland and First World Real Estate had applied to East Dunbartonshire Council for planning permission to construct a new shop and cafe on the former Arnold Clark premises in the Main Street retail park.

The council’s planning department recommended granting the application, with a string of conditions attached, but had attracted several objections, many of which concerned a proposed drive-through food retailer which was subsequently removed from the proposals in a revised version of the application.

Planners said approval would also be subject to a legally binding agreement that the developers make a financial contribution of more than £460,000 towards improving transportation links for the town centre.

During the planning meeting where the application was discussed, Councillor Alix Mathieson (Conservative, Milngavie) admitted the site in question had become an “eyesore,” expressed concern for the small businesses such as cafes in the town centre, asking how much investigation had gone into the amount of traffic this development would divert away from them.

It was confirmed that the potential impact was based on traffic assessments, and with the proposed shop unit being relatively small the expectation was that the overall impact on the town centre would be similarly so and that many of the people using the cafe would do so in conjunction with shopping at other nearby units.

Following further discussion, planning convenor Callum McNally (Labour, Lenzie and Kirkintilloch South) moved to grant the application in line with the planning recommendations, and this was unanimously agreed.