Sainsbury’s has been urged not to abandon Perthshire after the collapse of plans for one store and continued inaction over another in the region.
Pete Wishart MP had a meeting with Andrew Sanderson, the company’s supermarket development manager, in the House of Commons to discuss the shock decision to pull the plug on a £41 million store in Crieff Road, Perth.
He was also updated on plans for the site in Pitlochry.
Mr Wishart said: “There is a real sense that Sainsbury’s have simply abandoned Perthshire. I do appreciate that there is an evolving supermarket business environment and that Sainsbury’s have their own plan to deliver but a great deal of goodwill and resources was given to Sainsbury’s to develop these sites.”
He continued: “The council went out of their way to accommodate Sainsbury’s and could not have been more supportive in helping provide infrastructure.
“Several hundred jobs would have been secured on the back of the Perth Sainsbury’s which will not now come to the city.”
He said there was a still a chance that the Pitlochry store would go ahead, adding: “I hope that Sainsbury’s recognise that they have some obligation to Perthshire and do, indeed, proceed with this project.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We understand the MP’s concerns, which is why we met to discuss our plans.
“Since the Pitlochry site gained planning permission we have seen a significant change in the way people shop. As a result, we are reviewing our plans to make sure we can meet our customers’ future shopping needs. This review is ongoing and we will update the local community as soon as we can.”