The council has agreed to sign a concordat with Scotland’s Towns Partnership to promote the use of its Scotland Loves Local gift card.

At this week’s Community and Enterprise Committee councillors agreed to go ahead with the scheme which is designed to encourage local shopping, drive footfall to local businesses and keep spend in the local area for longer.

Councillor John Anderson, the chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, said: “I am delighted that the committee has approved this fantastic new scheme to help boost local shopping in our communities.

“I hope as many people as possible will take up this opportunity to support our local shops and I would encourage businesses to sign up to the scheme which should hopefully benefit our communities as a whole.”

Local people can buy a South Lanarkshire Gift Card online which can only be used in any local business with a physical presence in our area that has signed up to the scheme.

In the first year 5000 gift cards will be made available locally. The cards are designed with the Scotland Loves local logo with South Lanarkshire’s name included.

They can be spent in any participating business across South Lanarkshire. For more information and details on how businesses can sign up please go to the Scotland Loves Local website.

The gift cards use the existing MasterCard network so can be accepted by small independent businesses and national retailers who use the network.

Data will be used to track spending on the cards which will provide information to determine what the benefit is to the local businesses.