Original Story: Elected members of the council’s planning committee chose to vote through the change of use application for a former cafe with no conditions, despite community councillors’ unanimous agreement to oppose the application.

It is believed that work has already started to transform the former eatery, however it is not known yet what kind of arcade the unit will become or if it will have an age limit after concerns were raised over the effects on youth.

A parent contacted the Barrhead News this week. Louise Francis, 41, said: “My daughter goes to Barrhead High School and is regularly up at the Main Street for lunch.

“I don’t think she is the type of girl to go and spend her money in an amusement arcade, but I worry a lot of the kids will end up spending their money in there rather than getting their lunch.” Louise’s sentiments have been echoed by residents who took to online Social networking site to discuss the news.

One said: “That’s ridiculous! It’s bad enough just now with certain groups hanging about, this will make it worse.” Another, Julie Cameron said: “I was thinking of contacting Barrhead High and St Lukes’ as well to ask them if they had heard anything as I do not think they will like the idea of pupils buying their lunch right next to an amusement arcade.” The group behind the application is not known at this moment in time, however the approval marks the end of long running rumours that another betting chain such as Ladbrokes could be moving into the former Cafe Mocha building.

An application for a license will still need to be approved before the arcade can begin trading.

The community council objected to the plans on a number of bases, with spokeswoman 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.

“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.

UPDATE: THE plug has been pulled on arcade plans after the Manchester based owners of the Main Street shopping centre received complaints.

A spokesman said this week: "We are here to work with the community and when people said they did not want this on their doorstep we listened."

More in next week's Barrhead News