South Lanarkshire councillors have agreed to a contribution of £100,000 from the Common Good Fund to enable detailed plans to progress.

Initially unveiled earlier this year, the masterplan for the town centre includes the repurposing of some areas, the introduction of residential properties and new retail opportunities.

It has since been agreed that New Cross Shopping Centre, which was returned to council ownership in September 2021 in a very poor state of repair, should be closed as soon as possible and demolished to prepare the way for redevelopment.

The cash boost will ensure a project at the relevant planning stage – as required by both the UK and Scottish Governments – for applications to national funding programmes to be made.

The Common Good is a fund of money and/or assets administered by a Scottish local authority (in respect of each of its former burghs) separately from other council assets.

At a meeting of the Finance and Corporate Resources committee on 21 May, members approved the request for the cash, from the £495,000 fund currently held by the council.

Explained Councillor Lesley McDonald, Chair of the committee: “A report on the Hamilton Town Centre Masterplan was presented to the Executive Committee in February, setting the strategic priorities and investment for the town centre for at least the next 15 years.

“To meet these aims, pursue all opportunities for Government funding, and compete with other local authorities, developed plans for projects incorporated within the Masterplan need to be in place.

“I am delighted that colleagues on the committee have agreed to the allocation of Common Good Funding to secure the future of Hamilton town centre, and very much look forward to seeing the detailed plans evolve.”

The masterplan looks at six key sites and the potential for changes to be made to them.

The plan for the Regent Street shopping centre area would be to remove the centre and create a development site for town centre living.

Some buildings may need to be demolished, but the option to retrofit others, such as the former Marks and Spencer building to provide office space, would be explored.

Options for the former Bairds building include a retrofit of the building, demolition and redevelopment as well as ‘meanwhile uses’ for the site which include use as an event and market space while development is progressed.

With the current Duke Street car park site, the plan would be to provide student or hotel accommodation along with new parking provision. An active travel corridor to the station is also proposed.

The masterplan proposes that the current New Cross Shopping Centre would be transformed into a residential-led redevelopment with active ground floor uses along the line of Chapel Street.

The former Vogue Bingo site could be repurposed into a flexible multipurpose building, while retaining the building façade.