By Gordon Berry

SUPERMARKET GIANT Tesco has concluded a lengthy series of defiant skirmishes with Fife Council by winning the battle over its plans for a major new operation in Cupar.

In spite of acknowledgment by some councillors that there was a “serious omission” in retail information before them, members of the council’s north-east Fife area committee went on to unanimously approve the firm’s application.

Tesco dug in its heels over a request made last month for more retail impact and traffic details, and simply declined to have further consultation, or to reconsider the use of traffic lights at site entrance.

Now the firm has the green light to demolish its existing store in South Road, and build a much larger one on the site of the adjacent former Reekie Group headquarters.

The development will also accommodate a Tesco home delivery service and an enlarged filling station.

The existing store has just over 2000 square metres of floor space and the new one will be just short of 7000 square metres.

The decision was made even though some councillors expressed concern that a previous Fife Council assessment on retail impact was not referred to in the committee report.

The document was highlighted by local councillor Bryan Poole who said it had referred to the possibility of widespread closures of town centre businesses, threats to viability of shops, and a 34% retail impact on the central area.

In addition, he said, Tesco’s own consultants had made it clear that Tesco would have 42% of total retail space in the town, a figure he described as a “huge proportion.”

Mr Poole also said there could be a sixfold increase in non-food sales over the existing operation.

The same issue was referred to by Councillor Robin Waterston, who said he had not seen the council’s retail assessment, and that retail impact was the “prime concern”.

“All information should be available to us, and I don’t think it is. I simply don’t understand how we can be expected to make a decision without a new assessment by Fife Council” he said.

In spite of the strong comments made no member of the committee opposed the approval recommendation, and Mr Poole said that because of the application’s history it was “down to the conditions” that would be imposed.

The principles, he said, had been ceded by the committee earlier, when he was not a councillor, in a decision that had “dismayed him.”

He successfully moved that instead of the 60% food, 40% non-food split suggested in the committee report the division should be 65%/35%.

During the meeting there was no reference to transportation issues that have punctuated the whole debate.

The result of the decision is that access to the new store will be controlled by a set of traffic lights on South Road and not the roundabout a number of people had wished to see.

Concern over traffic impact had been expressed by local businesses, the Association of Businesses in Cupar and District, and Cupar Community Council.

Yesterday Tesco corporate affairs manager Doug Wilson said that the new store would attract local shoppers and prevent the current loss of trade from Cupar.

“In drawing-up plans for the new store, we consulted widely with council officers and local residents and the local community to ensure that the needs not only of our customers, but also of those neighbouring the development, were addressed fully.

“Our proposals have been adapted through local consultation and discussion.

“We want to thank all of the people who have been so supportive throughout the process” he said.