REVISED plans have been drawn up for demolition of a large part of the Oak Mall and creation of a new entrance façade.
Around 40 per cent of the shopping centre will be knocked down as part of a much bigger transformation of central Greenock.
Planning permission to demolish the eastern end of the mall was given several years ago but the latest proposals affect more of the building — two further retail units — and also feature new designs.
A statement submitted with a new planning application explains: “A rise in large retail units in nearby Port Glasgow has led to a decline in the occupancy of Oak Mall and a large number of the units in the eastern end of the mall are now vacant.
“The mall is intersected by the A78 running at upper level, splitting the mall into two parts. The underside of the area with the road is leaky and in poor repair. In recent times, the eastern end of the mall has become under-used and the entrance at the upper level addressing Clyde Square has been closed off.
“The building is showing signs of age, with some areas of the fabric being in poor repair. The urban realm is also of low quality, dominated by parking and giving little to the pedestrian experience in the area.
“The increased extents of the demolition of Oak Mall proposed within this application create more breathing space between the road and the mall entrance, allowing for the introduction of a higher quality of public realm.”
Designs include giving “a sense of civic quality” to the new eastern frontage frontage by incorporating the historic mural from the Hector McNeil building on Clyde Square, which is being knocked down as part of the overall town centre redevelopment.
Also included in the whole scheme is demolition of the elevated section of the A78 with reinstatement at street level, and reconfiguration of the Bullring roundabout to provide a smaller signalised junction.
A further application for associated landscape proposals will be made separately.
