An application to demolish a Fife abattoir has been withdrawn.
Council planners had earlier advised against the demolition of the abattoir following a warning that its loss would destroy the rural economy.
The application sought to bulldoze the St Andrews abattoir and build a food store and hotel in its place on Largo Road.
Councillors were due to discuss the application on Wednesday. However, the news means those discussions are no longer necessary, with the fate of the building remaining unclear.
Premier Inn and Marks & Spencer have been lined up by applicant Ashleigh (St Andrews) Ltd to sign leases for the proposed premises.
The abattoir board has already indicated that the site will close shortly, regardless of the North East Fife Planning Committee’s decision.
But in his report for the committee, planner Angus Dodds had recommended the application be rejected to protect employment land supply in St Andrews and to protect a valuable employment and community facility.
He said: “The loss of this facility has not been suitably justified in terms of the viability of the existing business, and the applicants have neither demonstrated that equivalent alternative facilities exist elsewhere in the local community nor submitted sufficient information to the planning authority to explain how such alternative facilities could be provided as a replacement.”
According to the report, annual accounts and annual meeting minutes provided to the council indicated that the sustainability of small, traditional abattoirs was questionable due to reduced throughput and the dominance of supermarkets.
The viability of the St Andrews business in the longer term was considered to be weak. However, it did appear to be making a small operating profit, the reporter stated.
The operators, who also run an abattoir in Brechin, had proposed to create a new modern site serving Tayside and Fife. They also suggested they could construct a smaller abattoir to serve local demand at cost price for a new operator.
However, Mr Dodds said that no commitment had been made to the former option or site identified for the latter.
Henry Cheape, owner of nearby Balgove Larder, previously warned that closure of the abattoir would lead to the loss of many food sector jobs. He has offered to take on the lease until another Fife abattoir is established.