Home Bargains Arbroath: Is the discount giant’s £16 million town retail park plan in trouble?

Doubts are growing over the future of Arbroath’s £16 million retail park plan anchored by discount giant Home Bargains.

It is almost a year since Angus councillors gave the green light for the Elliot development.

But it is four years since a previous planning approval raised local hopes of big names being added to the Arbroath retail offering.

Home Bargains said it hoped to start work this summer on the site beside the A92.

They forecast it will bring 200 jobs and £5m a year to the town.

But with that target date now past there are concerns locally that the project might never happen.

The former Presentation Products site sits empty.

And the firm has been silent on its plans for the development.

Arbroath site history

An initial planning bid by another developer sparked a so-called store wars in Arbroath.

Brackenbrae Investments’ plan for the former factory site beside the town’s existing Westway retail park drew opposition from neighbouring Asda and other rivals including Lidl.

Aldi, Iceland, Burger King and Costa were touted as potential arrivals.

But the scheme did not go ahead.

Home Bargains parent company T J Morris bought the site in 2021.

It drew up revised proposals for a retail park with five units, including the 40,000 sq. ft. anchor outlet and garden centre.

The plan includes parking for 400 cars.

Home Bargains is yet to confirm other big names which might occupy the retail space.

Since July, the Courier has made a number of approaches to the company’s representatives seeking an update on the project.

But Home Bargains has not given a progress report or assurance it remains committed to the Angus scheme.

New Dundee Home Bargains outlet

Home Bargains is about to complete construction of a new Dundee outlet.

The Stack store is due to open at the beginning of December.

It is on the site of the former Odeon cinema which was demolished at the Lochee retail park in 2022.

An outdoor Garden World will help make it one of the brand’s biggest Scottish outlets.

Greggs is also creating a new outlet at the entrance to the retail park.