A North Lanarkshire councillor has expressed his relief that long-awaited road works in Motherwell are finally underway.
As part of the planning permission for the Tim Hortons in the town, the organisation is required to carry out junction improvements outside of the restaurant.
This included widening of the road at Knowetop Avenue on approach to Windmillhill Street into two distinct lanes.
The Canadian fast food business missed two previous deadlines for carrying out the work next to the restaurant which opened at the tail end of last year.
The initial planning consent stated that the works should be complete before Tim Hortons opened in the town, which it did last December. That first deadline was missed and a second one in April this year also failed to see the work carried out.
North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) then issued a breach of condition notice to the business.
A third deadline was set for October 17 and it would seem that the works are finally on-track to be completed by then.
Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig councillor Nathan Wilson has been proactive in trying to ensure the business met its planning obligations, and has been in direct contact with them over the delays to the work.
The initial works started on September 28 and a road closure will be in place from October 9 to 17 when more complex aspects of the road widening is to be implemented.
The Scottish Conservative councillor told Lanarkshire Live : “Many of my constituents have contacted me about the delays experienced with the road widening works and this has been a major source of frustration locally.
“Given the condition was attached to the planning permission in the interests of road safety and safe traffic flows, it was imperative for the works to go ahead.
“I have persistently pursued the planned road works through continual representations to council officers, highlighting the issue in the public domain and writing to Tim Hortons stressing how important it was for the October deadline to be met.
“It is a welcome relief that the initial road widening works have now started and I am delighted activity is finally taking place on the ground to fulfil the planning condition.
“It is vital now that the main works are carried out this month as planned and for this long-running issue to be brought to conclusion.”
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