A MEETING WILL be held this week at the Lhanbryde Community Centre where campaigners hoping to retain a former Hotel building are seeking public support.
Planning permission has already been given for the Tennant Arms Hotel to be demolished and make way for a new Co-Operative Store – however, local campaigners are determined that should not happen.
They had thought their cause was already won when the owner of the building, Tahir Pervaiz, appeared to give way to community opinion, indicating that he would seek an alternative to demolition.
However, last week architects representing Mr Pervaiz indicated that the building would be demolished after all – and that Co-Operative Stores had put pressure on the owner to complete the original plan.
Local resident Gill Stewart is one of the leaders of the campaign group, which has attracted strong support from local councillors Sean Morton and Douglas Ross. She said: “Permission should never have been given to knock it down in the first place – and we don’t know where to go now, we cannot appeal.
“So what we really need are new ideas to keep the fight going – there were so many good suggestions the last time, everyone is really determined to save it.”
Chair of the Lhanbryde Community Challenge, Anita Milne, added that as the Co-Operative Group claims they follow ethical objectives around helping communities, they should not undermine such aims by being responsible for destroying the building.
She added: “Surely the term co-operative says it all? They should be working with local communities in a co-operative rather than riding roughshod over local views and opinions.”
The public meeting to discuss the issue is being held at the Lhanbryde Community Centre on Wednesday (April 5) at 7pm.