Blantyre’s concerned traders and businessmen and women were frightened for their futures in October 1977.
As compulsory orders were slapped on a multitude of businesses along the north and south of Glasgow Road, authorities were calming the situation by pointing out there would be enough room for them in the £1.5m ASDA shopping complex coming to the town.
There was a deep mistrust in the council. Blantyre and District Traders Association wrote an urgent letter to Hamilton District Council in a bid to have their futures assured.
This followed their own survey of established traders in Blantyre and discovering that over 20,000 square feet of new shops would have to be built to accommodate all the traders that wanted to carry on their business in Blantyre after ASDA moved in.
ASDA had already agreed to build 8,000 square feet of replacement shops at what would become Clydeview Shopping Centre but the traders considered this “totally inadequate”.
The traders estimate for the shops was not final. Many shop owners wanted to see first what kind of compensation they would be offered after being forced to uproot from premises, some of them had worked at for generations. Others wanted to see what compensation would be offered, so they at their own leisure could decide (once the money was banked) if they wanted to continue or retire.
The Association upon seeing the plans outlaid for the first time, wanted changes made to the Asda store. Such a large supermarket would need toilets, a waiting room, a foyer or reception and where was the taxi rank? These were all put to Asda for consideration.
Blantyre traders also had a list of ‘demands’ from Asda, none of which Asda legally had to comply with. It was more of a wishlist from traders, asking that traders were shown some respect for the whole development. According to the Hamilton Advertiser, these demands included :
a) No Blantyre trader will have to close because of demolition of their premises and should be relocated into the new shopping centre.
b) The new shops in the complex should first be offered to those already been served compulsory purchase order, who were currently affected by the stress and concern of the situation.
c) The shopping complex should be opened at the same time as Asda and not later.
d) Sufficient shops should be built to satisfy the needs of the traders and that there should be decisions as to who would become tenant based on anything Asda may or may not sell themselves.
e) Rents should be on a par with those already being charged in the town.
This was a LOT for Hamilton District Council and ASDA to work through and the outcome unfortunately, wasn’t always in the interest of the Blantyre traders, with many choosing for a variety or reasons to relocate elsewhere, close down entirely or quietly retire.
To those not in business, Asda was generally welcomed to Blantyre by organisations, Community Council and residents providing much needed jobs, competition and convenience. For many people it represented the future and finally lifted the eyesore of derelict tenements from what was considered a bygone era.
People are quick often on this page to say that Asda ‘ripped the heart from the town’, but actually there’s a correction to be made there. That was done most definitely by Hamilton District Council, who made these planning decisions, sold the land to Asda rather than building a town square and chose to put the supermarket in the middle of Blantyre rather than on outskirts. It was the Council’s wasted opportunity, lack of vision or foresight which in my opinion certainly was a bad decision.
The old entrance to Blantyre Asda is pictured a little later in 1985, complete with the first taxi rank.