Tesco is aiming to have a new supermarket built in Crieff by next year, after a long-running saga that has seen a public inquiry and one of Scotland’s top law courts involved.
The Courier can exclusively reveal that after being granted planning permission by Perth and Kinross Council for a 3,425-square metre supermarket with 258 parking spaces in 2011, the supermarket giant is now set to proceed with its development on land to the west of Duchlage Farm, Duchlage Road, Crieff.
This is the latest instalment of a long-running saga that initially saw planning permission granted for Sainsbury’s to build a supermarket in Market Park, Crieff, in 2006, following an appeal. This had been opposed by the council, which favoured the Duchlage Farm site, which was also the choice of Crieff residents, according to a public inquiry in 2006.
In 2008, the local authority reaffirmed its backing of the Duchlage Farm option for Crieff but this was challenged by Sainsbury’s a year later.
The Sainsbury’s proposal included provision for a new games park and the Crieff Highland Gathering then took the matter to the Court of Session in Edinburgh, claiming that the local authority had breached the terms of its Market Park lease.
However, in May 2011, at the Court of Session, Lord Pentland found the council had never been in material breach of its lease and that Sainsbury’s did not have any legal control over the majority of the Market Park site.
Then the Pro Market Park (Crieff) Ltd group agreed to dissolve. The group arose after a groundswell of public opinion when Market Park was under threat of development in 2004.
Perth and Kinross Council then granted approval in July 2011 for Tesco to proceed with its development, which had been lodged jointly with Stewart Milne.
When the local authority granted planning permission to Tesco in 2011, Nick Brian, Perth and Kinross Council’s development quality manager, said the provision of “additional convenience” retail floor space would “significantly” help reduce the outflow of consumers from the Crieff area.
“It would also provide for more sustainable shopping patterns with the improved distribution and accessibility,” he said at the time.
Several Crieff residents have recently contacted The Courier to express concern that no work had started on the Duchlage Farm site in Crieff. Tesco has now stressed it aims to have the supermarket built there by next year.
A spokesperson for Tesco has confirmed the announcement. “Tesco received planning permission for the Crieff site in 2011 but there was a lot of discussion regarding the situation for years and years.
“The Sainsbury’s plan was judicially reviewed and rejected and since getting planning approval, a development plan was put in place by Tesco.
“We remain committed to building a supermarket in Crieff and look forward to investing in the town, providing new jobs and additional shopping choice.
“We are currently looking to open our store in the 2014 financial year. We recognise local people are looking forward to the opening of our store and will keep the local community updated as our plans continue to progress.”
The planned Tesco store is one of several supermarket developments that have been given the green light by Perth and Kinross Council in recent months.
Sainsbury’s has been granted permission for a £40 million store to be built on the former site of the Perth Mart in Crieff Road, Perth.
Sainsbury’s has also gained approval for a supermarket in Pitlochry and has lodged plans for a satellite store in Perth’s High Street and a mini-market in Blairgowrie.