Plans approved for park and ride facility in East Kilbride

Councillors on this week’s planning committee approved plans to develop a park-and-ride facility with integrated transport facilities at the East Kilbride station.

Elected members added a condition to the plans to include a new pedestrian crossing to help facilitate users of both the station and the nearby St James Retail Centre.

Plans to incorporate the crossing were brought forward by councillor David Watson (East Kilbride West), who welcomed the proposals but raised concerns about road safety.

He said: “I’d like to say at the outset that I am 100 per cent behind this application, it is much needed and already delayed and it’s good to see it come here. That said I’ve got major concerns about the report that’s been presented to us and I accept that there will be further reports coming to committee soon.

“My main issues are about pedestrian access although I had sought some reassurance about traffic movement and modifications that were to take place that aren’t addressed here but are addressed elsewhere.

“The one that I’m concerned about and there’s no commitment to, is right in the vicinity of the station at the St James Centre, which is a busy shopping centre. We’re now going to put a train station there and there’s no pedestrianised crossing, there’s some dropped kerbs but there are no controlled crossings. Putting a pedestrian crossing at the St James Centre would allow access for local residents, it would allow access to Hairmyres Hospital, access to the centre and also for access to the railway station.”

Now approved, the plans will see a new transport interchange facility at the relocated Hairmyres Station which is situated to the east of Redwood Drive.

The development will include two new traffic signal controlled junctions for the south and north areas, a park and ride facility which will include disabled spaces, EV charging spaces as well as integrated public transport access.

There will also be cycle storage for bike users.