A LEADING Port Glasgow businessman has welcomed plans for a new £600,000 spur road into the town centre.

Butcher Drew McKenzie, who chairs the Port Traders’ Association, says the project by regeneration firm Riverside Inverclyde (RI) to create a carriageway linking the A8 onto Princes Street will be of ‘great advantage’ to shop-owners and locals.

He believes the project – which also includes improvements to the town hall and surrounding areas – is long overdue but is a positive move to help revitalise the town centre.

Riverside Inverclyde are awaiting the green light from Inverclyde Council planning officials to press ahead with the new road, which will run off the roundabout at Tesco filling station, through the local authority-owned car park and onto Princes Street.

Mr McKenzie, who owns Robert Alexander Butchers, said: “This particular sliproad should have been put in place when Tesco was being built but wasn’t due to, some might say, the owners of the superstore site being happy not to integrate with the existing town centre.

“If it had been done then a lot of money would have been saved.

“Having looked closely at the plans, the new road should be of great advantage to everyone and will improve access greatly to the town centre. It is highly desirous that Port Glasgow should have a vibrant town centre and every Portonian should work towards this.

“With the new retail park being built coupled with the superstore and the original town centre the town has all the ingredients to be successful and between the three entities should attract a sufficient volume of customers to make it so.”