Work is set to start next year on a £41 million supermarket on the former site of the Perth mart ahead of roadworks needed to ease traffic congestion.
A report due to come before Perth and Kinross Council’s development management committee next week reveals that plans are afoot to modify an existing legal agreement, a move that would allow Sainsbury’s to progress with their Crieff Road store, which they have claimed will create around 450 jobs.
If the proposal is passed, work would begin in April next year, with the store expected to open its doors in spring 2015.
Planning permission was granted in May last year, with the decision notice issued in April after the section 75 planning obligation was concluded. This was to allow vital roadworks on the A9/A85.
It had generally been anticipated that the roadworks would take place before construction started on the new store but Perth and Kinross Council is being advised to pass the planning modification.
In the report, Nick Brian, Perth and Kinross Council’s development quality manager, states: “Sainsbury’s remains keen to progress with the development of its Perth store and is looking to move forward in the acquisition of the land followed by the construction programme itself.
“As the applicant would not be willing to commence development of the store with the current trading restriction in place, the outcome of this application to vary the planning obligation is fundamental to the approved project being taken forward.”
Mr Brian states that, since the signing of the original planning obligation, “projected timings” for the road improvement scheme have slipped due to difficulties in relation to the necessary land acquisition and “potential complexities” of the compulsory purchase order.
“This would mean that the road would potentially open in June 2017,” he added.
“The deletion of clause six would extend the period additional traffic would impact on the road network by allowing the retail store to open prior to the road improvement contract being let. It is, however, considered that the impact on the road network, whilst that may be significant, will be temporary and for a period of some 27 months, rather than the more limited period originally envisaged.”
Mr Brian continues: “Whilst this increase in time is disappointing it is understandable that the developer does not wish to be held back from developing their store due to the difficulties associated with the council’s attempts to bring forward the associated road improvement scheme.
“The risk of the road improvement scheme not going ahead appears to be limited. There is confidence the scheme will be delivered.
“It is therefore concluded that the proposed modification to allow the rewording of a definition, the deletion of a clause and the revision of two further clauses will assist in the bringing forward of a further supermarket, hopefullyimproving the future economic competiveness of Perth.
“On that basis, the current request to vary the terms of the legal agreement should be approved.”
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “Given the potential timescales involved in the major road infrastructure being taken forward by the council, it has been agreed that the most effective way to secure the Sainsbury’s investment is for Sainsbury’s to make an up-front contribution to helping secure what is a vital roads upgrade for residents and the city.
“In addition, Sainsbury’s is committed to carrying out road improvements to the local network to ensure that the additional traffic can be accommodated without any net detriment to local traffic levels, or to residents and other road users.”