Work will begin early next summer on Arbroath’s £16 million Home Bargains retail park.
That is the target date set by the firm after their ambitious plan for brownfield land at Elliot industrial estate sailed through a special meeting of Angus Council on Tuesday.
And local councillors say they hope the 200-job development will bring a spin-off boost to the beleaguered high street by keeping shoppers in the town.
Forecasts suggests the new development could bring more than £5 million to Arbroath each year.
“This will keep people in the town who at this time disappear up the road to Dundee,” said local councillor David Fairweather.
Planning history
In 2019 councillors approved a retail park plan for the former Presentation Products factory site by another developer.
But it never went ahead.
Home Bargains’ parent company, Liverpool-based T J Morris, bought the site around a year ago.
Earlier this year the discount retailer lodged a revised scheme for a slightly smaller development.
The anchor store will be a 30,000 sq. ft Home Bargains outlet and adjoining 10,000 sq. ft garden centre.
The site beside the A92 Dundee Road will have four other retail units totalling 48,500 sq. ft and parking for 400 cars.
And there will be a drive thru and drive-to restaurant near the entrance to the retail park.
Town planner Ian Gallacher said the Arbroath development is one of around 10 projects currently being developed by T J Morris.
The company has 500 stores nationwide and employs around 22,000 people.
Its ambition is to double the store tally and increase the workforce to 40,000.
Earlier this year it opened a £7m store in Dundee and created 50 jobs at a new Blairgowrie outlet.
Mr Gallacher said: “This is a significant investment for T J Morris in Arbroath and Angus.”
Asked about when work would begin, he replied: “I would guess probably into early summer next year.
“The idea is Home Bargains would be the first phase of this.
“Once we get that anchor we will hopefully get interest in the other units.”
Traffic concerns
Despite their unanimous support for the scheme, some councillors continue to have concerns about the traffic situation.
A new entrance with traffic lights will be created from the A92.
But the site sits next to the existing Westway retail park.
Councillor Ross Greig said: “If you get the traffic lights and the mini roundabout there at the wrong time it can take some time to get through.
“It’s one thing getting into the existing retail park, but it’s another thing getting out of it.”
He said he wouldn’t like to see the stretch of road become a “massive bottleneck”.
Planning officials say they are confident the new junction plans will be able to accommodate the extra traffic.
There had been a hope a link road might be built between the adjoining retail parks.
But councillors were told land issues are a stumbling block to that.
Arbroath independent councillor Lois Speed said: “What could be key to the success of this project is for the two retail parks being able to agree shared access and I hope there can be future negotiations around that.”
Councillor David Fairweather added: “It will keep people in the town to shop in the town.
“This will give others the opportunity to take up empty sites on the High Street because the town will start to be busy again.
“The economic benefit it will bring to Arbroath will be enormous.”
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