New £2m Drive-Thru Development Proposed For Port Glasgow
The Former Job Centre at Port Glasgow
Plans have been submitted to Inverclyde Council Planners for a £2 million Drive-thru development at the site of the former Job Centre on the main arterial A8 route into Port Glasgow.
The single-story design, which would also include a seating area for customers, is earmarked for land adjacent to Gallagher Retail Development, at the corner of Scarlow Street and the A8 Greenock Road.
It is expected the development would create a mixture of 40 to 50 full and part-time jobs in what would provide a welcome employment boost to the local Inverclyde economy
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) closed the Port Job Centre in October 2017, with staff and services moving to the Greenock office.
Should the plans get the go-ahead, the number of car parking spaces is proposed to be 51, including four disabled spaces.
The development plans have been submitted by Dalglen Investments, owned by local billionaire businessmen Sandy and James Easdale, who purchased the 0.77-acre site in 2019 as part of their £800 million countrywide property portfolio.
Their plans are being supported by Rebecchi Architectural.
Several national businesses have shown an interest in the proposed development, with another marquee name expected to be attracted to Inverclyde should the plan be approved.
Reflecting on the plans, Sandy, and James Easdale said:
“We have submitted this exciting proposal with the intent to secure fresh inward investment into Inverclyde and to continue to support the future economic prosperity of the area.
“Given the growth of the retail park adjacent, we believe this site can act as a key bridge to help sew together the traditional Port Glasgow town centre for visitors and shoppers.
“This development would provide a further significant boost to Port Glasgow and the site in particular, which will compliment both the local and national traders nearby.
“We believe this is a fantastic opportunity to secure a marquee tenant, and interest has been strong from several national retailers should this be approved.”
The site is being marketed by Gourock-based commercial property agency, Bowman Rebecchi and Breck Sutherland.