Site now Shang-a-Lang Loan as ex-Roller plans development

Published on Monday 3 January 2011 14:55

EX-BAY City Rollers star Pat McGlynn is set to turn property speculator as he awaits the outcome of a multi-million pound legal wrangle over royalties from the band's heyday.

The ex-Rollers guitarist has just been granted planning permission to develop Lang Loan, an industrial estate near Loanhead, which he says will help keep his head above water until a verdict is reached on the disputed cash.

McGlynn, 52, has ambitious plans for a two-acre plot of waste ground he inherited from his father after blueprints were approved to build seven commercial workshop units on the site.

And he is confident his new venture will be mutually profitable for both his family and the surrounding community.

He said: "It's a funny thing to jump from musician to property developer but I'm hoping this will be a viable project and will keep me going until I get my money from the ongoing court case in America," he said.

"At the moment there's about 40 lawyers involved representing everyone. I just hope they come to some agreement - I've been waiting 30 years for it."

Spurred on by his architect, Mr McGlynn said he is delighted to have reached the construction stage of the vision.

"This project was mostly my architect's idea and I went along with it," he said. "But I'm over the moon to have got council approval and I suppose it saves me from dreaming about Shang-A-Lang, now I can dream about these industrial units!"

He added: "The units are being built on my late father's land and I'm really pleased he's up there and can see I'm doing something productive with it.

"They could be used for anything, it could be turned into one big unit like a large department store or used individually as sales units for kitchen supplies or something."

The planning permission is a welcome boost for Mr McGlynn who underwent surgery after suffering a heart attack earlier this year.

The one-time rock star, who lives in Liberton, blamed the health scare on heavy smoking which he says he has now cut back on.

Construction work for the seven 12m x 9m units have been put out to tender with the project targeted for completion by the end of the summer 2011.