Banff and Macduff Community Council chairman Ian Page wants to meet Asda officials to plead the case for a store for Banff or Macduff.

Asda has reiterated that it has given up on Banff – but the supermarket giant says it is still looking at possible future developments in Aberdeenshire.

Asda's property communications manager, Lisa Rooke, and Mr Page have both confirmed that Banff was dead in the water as far as Asda is concerned.

However, such was the level of public support for Asda's proposal to build a store at Golden Knowes Road, on the outskirts of the town, that Mr Page has offered to meet with Asda officials to restate the case for Banff and Macduff.

He told the Banffshire Journal that he had offered to do anything he could to convince Asda to change their minds and come to the area.

He said: "Asda say their application is dead in the water. I have offered to go to them for a meeting – I will do anything I can to get it.

"According to the Job Centre, there are around 150 people in the Banff and Macduff area who are signing on as eligible for work.

"The creation of 250 new jobs would have been a massive boost to the local economy.

"Let's just hope that Asda look into the appeal again, or look at Macduff as a site for establishing a new store."

Miss Rooke restated Asda's position on Banff but said that the company was still looking at Aberdeenshire.

She told the Journal: "We are disappointed at the decision to refuse permission for our application for a new store in Banff.

"However, Asda remains committed to investing in new stores in the Aberdeenshire area.

"We will be looking for new opportunities in the coming weeks and months, and will progress any plans with the council in due course."

In March, Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Services Committee voted in favour of planners' recommendations to refuse Asda planning permission for its proposed out of town store.

The local authority's Banff and Buchan area committee had earlier given their backing to the supermarket and housing development.

Mr Page has written to Asda to try and convince them to reconsider Banff – or take a look at Macduff.

In his letter to Asda's Lisa Rooke, he said: "The community council firmly believe that Asda stores would gain the necessary permission should it lodge an appeal.

"The recommendations to refuse permission were based on scanty information such as two new supermarkets having a detrimental impact on the town centre.

"The simple fact is that there are not two new supermarkets planned for the town, as Tesco are already established and are merely building a newer store and will close the existing site.

"This will therefore not create a significant number of new jobs but will merely relocate the existing employees to the new building along with a small number of new staff.

"The report also indicated that two stores would have an impact on shopping centres of Banff and Macduff.

"The person preparing the report must have failed to notice that the majority of shops in Macduff are already boarded up or have been converted into residential use.

"The proposed Asda would have created some 250 new jobs, which can only have a positive impact on the towns. Currently there are around 150 people in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance in the Banff and Macduff area. The creation of 250 jobs would be a hugely welcome boost to the local economy.

"Banff and Macduff Community Council are 100% committed to supporting an Asda appeal.

"Should Asda decide not to reverse its decision, we would be grateful if serious consideration were given to the establishment of a new store in Macduff."

shepherd_e@spp-group.com

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---