The plans are currently pending consideration by East Renfrewshire Council’s Planning committee, however fears have been raised over the negative impact of such premises.

If approved by elected councillors, the former Cafe Mocha on Barrhead Main Street would become an amusement arcade, however it is not clear at this moment in time who is heading up the plans or what kind of amusement arcade it would be.

The community council announced its opposition to the plans in a response submitted to East Renfrewshire Council, with a spokeswoman for the group, Rena McGuire, saying: “The Barrhead Community Council is concerned that the introduction of an amusement arcade in this location will undermine the transformation of the town centre which is a key component of the Local Plan.

“This concern is based upon the operational characteristics of an amusement arcade with the congregation of young people, many of whom are unemployed and with a tendency for anti-social behaviour.

“These concerns are strengthened by the impact of the smoking ban which would result in customers of the proposed amusement arcade congregating outside the property immediately adjacent to food outlets and a chemist shop which attracts a wide range of the community and particular female elderly and families. “In this regard, smoking outside a corner unit immediately adjacent to a bakers shop is likely to result in contamination of food stuffs within the shop.

“It is also a concern of the community council that the location, adjacent to a concentration of methadone outlets at Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Frasers Pharmacy is already a source of concern over anti-social behaviour of drug addicts and that any additional source of potential conflict is entirely unacceptable.” There has also been questions raised over whether or not the establishment would have an operational age limit of 18 or what opening hours it would operate, however this information is unlikely to become public until an application for a license.