Dozens of people have lodged objections to plans for a new Home Bargains store in Dunfermline.
Retail giant TJ Morris has unveiled proposals for the outlet in Duloch.
The store – which would be the town’s second – would be built in the middle of a housing estate on Dunlin Drive, in the north-east of the town.
Since plans first emerged in January, at least 170 people have submitted an objection to Fife Council.
A campaign group has also handed out about 1,000 leaflets to homes in the area alerting locals to the plans.
More than 25 others have put forward comments in support of the proposals.
What are the concerns?
Locals have put forward a number of reasons for their objections.
These include:
- Loss of wildlife habitat.
- Design of the new store.
- Impact on traffic and increased congestion.
- Noise and light pollution.
- Reduced privacy.
- Lack of demand for more retail.
Amy Woodgate, a Duloch resident, says she has been both amazed and heartened by the level of response from locals.
She said: “It’s important to make clear that we are not against Home Bargains or retail in the area, but this is clearly the right development in completely the wrong place.
“The proposed design is effectively a large steel-clad black box which will be totally out of character with its surroundings
As destination retail, this sort of development relies heavily on customers to travel by car
Resident Amy Woodgate
“Its sheer size will dwarf the houses that surround it, making it wholly inappropriate.
“Furthermore, as destination retail, this sort of development relies heavily on customers to travel by car.
“The overwhelming majority of visitors will drive here, not walk.
“That will create a sizeable increase in road traffic and impact considerably on the local roads infrastructure.
“And having Carnegie Primary School just a short distance away, traffic is already heavy at peak times.
“Having the new store situated close by would just make the roads unbearable.”
Fears over early-morning deliveries
Craig Meikle, whose Fieldfare View home backs directly on to the proposed development, says it would have a devastating impact on those living closest to the site.
He told The Courier: “My garden is just a few feet from the proposed building and we have serious concerns over noise and light pollution, as well as the size of the structure.
“There are also concerns over out-of-hours deliveries and vehicle movements from within the site, which we fear could be as early as 5am.
“That is unacceptable for those whose live closest and whose live will be most adversely affected.”
What is Home Bargains saying?
Home Bargains owner TJ Morris has declined to comment on the objections.
But in documents lodged with the council, it says the main benefits include:
- 50 new jobs being created.
- Further employment through construction and supply chain.
- A £10 million investment into the area and improved consumer choice.
- The creation of a “vibrant destination” for the local community.
The firm also points out that several applications have previously been approved for the site including the erection of a neighbourhood shopping scheme, care home and community centre in 2008, along with six retail units in the same year, and again in 2013.
It claims there is “spare capacity” for retail in the area due to other projects not going ahead at nearby Halbeath.
The company has vowed to improve pedestrian links to the site and says a 3m-high acoustic fence along the southern boundary will protect nearby homes.
A statement added: “The proposal will complement existing retail provision within Fife and, as our analysis shows, will have no detrimental impact on the vitality or viability of nearby centres.”
The plans are expected to go before Fife Council in the coming months.
