An MSP has hit out at Scottish Water (SW) plans to put in place junction closures from this weekend.

As part of a project to install a new water main from Newton Mearns to East Kilbride, SW will commence a rolling programme of works along Mearns Road from Monday, December 4.

Junctions at Broomburn Drive and the Broomburn Medical Centre will be affected until December 15.

Jackson Carlaw, who represents Eastwood, claims going ahead with the work may adversely affect businesses because the restrictions will mean the closure of the “two main routes” for accessing the car park at the rear of Broomburn shops.

The politician told the Barrhead News: “The decision of SW to put in place junction closures that severely limit people’s ability to access the car park at the rear of the Broomburn Shops during the busy Christmas trading period is highly likely to have a significant detrimental impact on local businesses at the worst possible time.”

Mr Carlaw, who has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament to highlight what he sees as “a highly dissatisfactory approach from a publicly-owned body“ is requesting that Scottish Water reschedule the programme of work.

The first of the access points to the car park on Mearns Road, Mr Carlaw refers to, is positioned just before the traffic lights and next to the Broomburn Medical Centre.

The second way to enter the car park he refers to is through exiting Mearns Road at the location of La Vita Piccolino e Vino and travelling a short distance along Broomburn Drive before turning left where the Mearns Opticians is situated.

Pedestrian access to the shops will be unaffected by the plans and there will still be access to the car park via a diversion outlined by SW from Mearns Road to Blackhouse Road, Broomfield Avenue, Broomburn Drive and vice versa.

“The two potential alternative routes are both at a considerable distance from the shops and neither are relevant to traffic approaching from the Clarkston side of the community,” he added.

“It is important to note that Small Business Saturday takes place on December 2 and just two days before the junctions will be closed.

“As the local MSP, I am aghast that at a point in the year where we highlight the need to support small local businesses, SW are proceeding with highly detrimental activity to the Broomburn shops.

“The approach adopted by the publicly-owned body is in my view unacceptable and I call on SW to alter the scheduling of the proposed programme of work so it does not take place when the impact on the Broomburn shops will be most damaging.”

The work is part of a £26-million investment to prepare for the decommissioning of the Picketlaw Water Treatment Works which is approaching the end of its operational life.

It involves 13.5 miles of new pipes being installed between Newton Mearns and East Kilbrid, with the majority of work carried out in fields and countryside.

Once completed it will see the supply of tens of thousands of customers in Newton Mearns, Eaglesham and East Kilbride switched from Picketlaw to Drunoyhill and Daer.

A SW spokesperson said: “These works will be completed within a relatively short period of time.

"We have been engaging with local businesses and we are maintaining access to the shops and car park at all times.

“This is part of a major £26 million investment to improve the quality and resilience of water supply for many thousands of customers in the area.

“While we appreciate there will be some disruption in the short term, once completed the project will benefit the community for many years to come.”