Plans for a Sainsbury’s Local store in Auchterarder have been approved.
Planners had recommended councillors refuse an application from Sainsbury’s for a site on the edge of the fast-growing town.
They predicted a new supermarket would harm other businesses on the town’s high street in the long run.
But Perth and Kinross Council’s planning committee gave the project the thumbs-up on Wednesday.
It followed deputations from two of the three Auchterarder councillors, who said there was “overwhelming” public support for the Sainsbury’s plan.
The town’s third councillor, Conservative Keith Allan is a member of the committee.
He proposed the successful motion which led to the application being approved.
Mr Allan said the site was currently an eyesore, and his inbox was “full of people who are supportive of this new opportunity to shop and have choice in Auchterarder”.
Sainsbury’s changes fail to address Auchterarder concerns
Sainsbury’s has been eyeing the vacant site at The Feus, towards the east end of Auchterarder, for one of its Local stores for some time.
It’s just off the main road through the town and is currently used for lorry parking.
Sainsbury’s has reduced the site area, size of the store and parking numbers in response to planners’ concerns.
A spokesman for the company said the site would be about half the size of the existing Co-op store.
The Co-op in the town centre is currently undergoing a £1 million refit.
Planning consultant David Campbell, speaking on behalf of the Co-operative Group, claimed any reduction in customers at the Auchterarder branch would logically lead to a reduction in people visiting other shops in the town centre.
But Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Watt said there was “overwhelming” public support in Auchterarder for the Sainsbury’s store.
“It’s difficult to walk down the high street without someone wanting to discuss it,” he said.
SNP councillor Steven Carr agreed there was a clear need for the new Sainsbury’s store in Auchterarder, particularly given the amount of housebuilding at that end of the town.
“The number of new houses and new families in the town means the Co-op is struggling to cope,” he said.
Third controversial supermarket bid to be approved
This is the third time the committee has gone against officers’ advice on planning policy in regard to supermarket applications this year.
Councillors approved a new Lidl store off the Crieff Road in Perth in March.
And in June they approved a new Aldi store at Necessity Brae in the city.
Tesco appealed against a previous decision to approve the Aldi store and that permission was later blocked by the Court of Session.
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