A Stirling housing developer has escalated his spat with a supermarket giant over the site of a new superstore, accusing the chain of overstating support for its plans.
Asda intends to build a £25 million store at Crookbridge in the city but Allanwater Developments owner, David Stirling, wants the project to go ahead at St Ninians, on a site he owns.
The supermarket chain has claimed 92% of the public support its proposal but Mr Stirling insists that only 40 people were consulted. Asda said they have received upwards of 200 responses.
Allanwater Developments has delivered thousands of leaflets setting out their position, as well as handing out flyers at Asda’s information event at the Albert Halls.
The local firm has also begun a Facebook campaign.
A spokeswoman for Mr Stirling told The Courier: “We continue to garner strong support for our campaign to have the new Asda store located at St Ninians we have 800 likes on our Facebook page already in strong support of St Ninians.
“Recent reports from Asda stated that they had 92% in favour of the store at Crookbridge. We would challenge that by saying it is actually 92% of around only 40 people who attended the public consultation.”
Mr Stirling is concerned that a cluster of supermarkets will be sited at Crookbridge, with little provision for the St Ninians area, where he owns land.
His spokeswoman said: “A full retail impact study carried out before planning was granted to St Ninians site in 2010 found that there was no additional requirement for extra supermarket floor space in Stirling and that there was a qualitative case for a store on the south side of the city in order to redress the imbalance of stores to the north and east. These findings were accepted by the council.”
Asda’s planners had been eyeing the St Ninians site but talks broke down when they turned their attention to Crookbridge, instead.
Asda insists that David Stirling’s two and a half acre St Ninians site is too small for a 50,000 square foot superstore. The Crookbridge site covers eight acres.
Mr Stirling’s spokeswoman said: “We had detailed discussions with Asda in the past and our site was perfectly acceptable to them then.
“It has only been since Crookbridge has come into consideration for the proposed local plan that we have heard all the excuses that the St Ninians site is unacceptable.
“Public pressure is the only way we can ensure that Crookbridge is overturned and St Ninians once again becomes the clear favourite.”
Lynsey Ross, Asda’s property communication manager for Scotland, told The Courier she now has “well over 200” responses to the company’s consultation.
She said: “Of these, 92% are in favour of Asda coming to Stirling and our proposals for the Crookbridge site. We appreciate there may be a number of residents who would like to see Asda at the St Ninians site, but as we have repeatedly pointed out, the site is simply not big enough for our current plans.”
Asda’s £25m superstore is expected to create up to 400 local jobs.
Ms Ross added: “We believe that the investment and employment opportunities the store would bring are at the forefront of people’s minds.”