Politicians in East Kilbride have called for bold new plans to turn around the fortunes of the town centre.
It comes as McDonald's confirmed with Lanarkshire Live the closure of their EK, East Kilbride franchise on Wednesday, June 30.
The closure is the latest in the exodus of high-profile names from the shopping centre.
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's decided to concentrate its efforts on the Kingsgate retail park superstore - with the Olympia branch closing at the beginning of the year.
The COVID pandemic has also taken its toll with Debenhams closed permanently after a buyout by an online retailer failed to save any stores.
Labour MSP Monica Lennon told Lanarkshire Live : “The closure of McDonalds in the town centre is a further blow to East Kilbride.
"It’s devastating for staff to suddenly find out their workplace is closing.
"The shopping centre was facing serious pre-pandemic challenges and COVID-19 has only made this tougher. The Scottish Government must urgently support East Kilbride through investment and other initiatives, and I’ll continue to push for this.”
Tory MSP Graham Simpson said businesses in the town had been badly hit by lockdown, adding that many sectors - such as hospitality - needing extra help from the SNP government.
He added: “I just hope the site can be filled and that the town centre can start to revitalise but it is not going to be easy.
"The council needs to get together with the town centre owners to develop a vision that can be delivered."
Collette Stevenson agreed the closure was "yet another blow" for the town centre, saying it demonstrated the challenges faced by the retail and hospitality industries, which she believes have been "exacerbated by the pandemic".
The EK SNP MSP told us: "It was only a few short months ago that a report from South Lanarkshire Council suggested the Civic Centre is now beyond its economic life as a building, with a proposal that part of the town centre be re-provisioned for council facilities.
"The local community should have their say on what their priorities are so we can make the best decisions in light of the current situation.
"I firmly believe the town centre has a vibrant future, but bold and imaginative plans should be put into action sooner rather than later.”
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