A Carnoustie councillor has claimed plans for a new retail development which could bring Sainsbury’s and Greggs to the town “flies in the face” of the recent charrette.
The charrette, which gained the input of more than 650 people in the town in 2015, identified the potential to use part of the former Kinloch Primary School site as a town square.
It indicated retail buildings should be put to the west of the site and the car park to the east.
A large square could then have been created by combining the car park with part of Links Avenue and the car park on the opposite side of Links Avenue.
Documents submitted with the application show the developer initially sought to put the retail premises to the south of the site.
However, in the supporting design statement, it states that at a pre-application meeting council officers advised “the preference would be to locate the building at the north east corner of the site”.
Councillor Brian Boyd is now demanding answers on why this advice was given, describing the buildings as in the worst possible position.
He said: “All three councillors have been regularly asking for updates on this and we have been kept in the dark.
“The siting of the buildings goes against the wishes of people in the town and I want to find out why the applicant was advised by council officers that this was the preferred place for these buildings.
“The council are coming across again as not listening to people and I want to find out urgently why we are in this position.
“The town needs the supermarket desperately to stop people having to shop outwith the town but the buildings are in the wrong place. It shouldn’t be difficult to shift the plans round by 180 degrees.
“It would look ghastly coming down Links Avenue where international golfers will be coming down and they are going to see the backs of retail units. It’s shocking.”
More than 60 people have now signalled their objections to the development, which would create at least 30 jobs.
The British Legion has also added its dissent to the plans through its chairman Bill Bowles, who is a former town councillor.
He said the current plans meant the town square vision was no longer possible. The Legion had planned to use the town square for a service on Remembrance Day.
He said: “The hope was to put the buildings to the west of the site and use their car parking, part of Links Avenue and the other car park on the other side of Links Avenue as a town square.
“It could have been a change of paving and different speed limit. It would have been used for parking most of the time but on occasion you could have a farmer’s market, a Christmas tree, a bandstand – the town would have a focal point.
“The Legion could have held a remembrance service there.
“The current plans are car park, Links Avenue, shops, car park – it loses the opportunity to have a square. They need to turn the whole thing round.”
Angus Council said it could not comment on individual planning applications as this may prejudice the legal planning process
A council spokesperson said: “Applicants can choose to ask for planning advice prior to submitting their planning application.
“The planning service will identify matters that could impact on the acceptability of a proposal.
“It is for the applicant to put the application together taking account of feedback.
“The planning application provides the community an opportunity to comment on the proposal and these will be taken into account when a decision is made.”
