Cllr Colin France & Anders Hanson examine traffic problems around the Gilders site

Many residents in the Banner Cross area will be pleased with the decision by the council’s planning board to reject the proposed food store and housing on the former Gilders site on Ecclesall Road South.  This was a good example of local residents working hard with local councillors and MPs of all parties to affect a decision made about the local community.

However, understandably Gilders cannot leave the site as it is and so I am pleased that their Managing Director Gary Scotting has offered to sit down with local residents to discuss the future options for the site.  Thank you to those residents who have got in touch with me with their suggestions.  Cllr Colin France and I have also knocked on a lot of doors in the area to find out the opinions of people in the area.

With the current economic difficulties it is understandable that Gilders need some return on their sale of their site.  However, it is also important that any plans do not generate extra traffic and damage the quality of life of existing residents.  There is also the affect that any new supermarket may have on local retailers in Banner Cross and Greystones.  I understand that there is however a possibility that the site could be put back in to use as a car showroom, rather than being sold.  So there are a number of options for the site.

The new Banner Cross Campaign Group is hoping to organise a meeting  later in September or at the start of October.  Your local Liberal Democrat team will make sure that as many people are aware of the date, time and venue for the meeting as possible.