South Lanarkshire Council planning committee yesterday approved the Cathkin Relief Road after it was recommended for approval.

The scheme is set to be the first of a number of South Lanarkshire projects to get underway as part of the £1.13 billion Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.

The road will run through woods linking the junction of Burnside Road and Cathkin Bypass with Fernhill Road near to Croftfoot Road.

It will run along the route of the existing Fernhill Road to a new junction at Mill Street, where it will meet the realigned Blairbeth Road.

The item had resulted in a number of objections from locals but South Lanarkshire Council engineer manager Colin Park said the council had a responsibility to manage traffic flow and the road would increase their ability to do that and it would be of economic benefit to the surrounding communities.

He said: “This would help traffic flow along the Stonelaw Road and Blairbeth corridors. As a result of people not waiting at junctions as long, the air quality could be improved.”

The majority of the site is existing green space with open grassed areas, woodland and areas of shrubs.

The single carriageway road would be about 1600m long and 7.3m wide and would require the removal of trees and shrubs although the report says there will be “significant” new planting of semi mature trees, smaller trees and shrubs.

Construction is expected to take around a year with the new road opening by the end of 2016.