Legend Souness slams council for blocking plans

Graeme Souness has launched a furious attack on councillors who blocked his controversial plans for an industrial development in Monklands which could have created thousands of new Amazon jobs.

- HANNAH RODGER

The Rangers legend has accused North Lanarkshire Council of stopping the multi-million-pound scheme because it is linked to him rather than on the project's merits.

He told our sister paper the Sunday Mail it showed there was “something fundamentally wrong with the system” and added: “I have to believe it’s because I’m involved in it.”

Souness’ firm Orchard Brae has been working on the plans for Europark, opposite Eurocentral near Coatbridge, for almost a decade.

It would hold almost 1000 homes, a football academy, two schools, a community centre and business space.

And Amazon was in talks with the firm to create up to 2000 jobs with a new warehouse, while there were also discussions about an apprenticeship academy.

But councillors voted overwhelmingly against the plans last month after campaigners argued it would be detrimental to the environment and destroy greenbelt land.