AN application to turn a former railway station master’s house into retail units has been refused.

Developers behind the proposed development, in Busby Road, Clarkston, hoped to demolish the property after describing it as “beyond repair.”

However, residents claimed replacing it with four retail outlets would “tip the balance” between the East Renfrewshire suburb remaining a “desirable residential area” to being “polluted and noisy.”

Busby Road resident Beverley Chapman, who was among those to object to the plans, said the development would add to the “extremely heavy traffic” near her home and have a “disastrous effect” on the area.

She added: “Busby Road suffers from extremely heavy traffic and parking has already been compromised by the installation of the new ‘parklets.’

“The introduction of four extra retail units will make parking for residents even more difficult. In addition, I fail to see the point in creating more retail outlets when the existing ones seem to struggle and whilst there are already vacant units.”

Ms Chapman maintained the old station master’s house still has the potential to be “an exceptional home and garden.” and should remain as a private dwelling, especially in view of the strengthening market in the area.

She said: “This application, if it were to go through, will in my view tip the balance between Clarkston being a desirable residential area with good amenities to it being a polluted, noisy place, thus having a disastrous effect on the other properties on Busby Road and beyond.”

East Renfrewshire Council’s planning board rejected the application.

In a letter to the applicant, the council local authority’s director of environment, Andrew Cahill, wrote: “The reasons for the council’s decision are that the proposal is contrary to the adopted East Renfrewshire Local Development Plan, as the applicant has not demonstrated why more sequentially preferable sites have been discounted as unsuitable or are unavailable, and that there will be no significant impact on the vitality and viability of the adjacent town centre.”