A national clothing chain has swooped to fill an Angus high street hole following the departure of a frozen food giant.
Residents of Forfar were appalled this week after staff at the Iceland store in Castle Street were told they would lose their jobs at one of the chain’s most successful branches.
Welsh clothing firm Peacocks has formally applied to move in to the store and is taking over the lease. It is already advertising for staff but ignored questions over whether it would take on workers now in consultation with Iceland, or how many people it would expect to employ.
Forfar independent councillor Colin Brown said that “any empty shop in the centre of town” is to be avoided.
He added: “I’m sorry to see Iceland go but we can take some comfort that another retailer is coming in straight away.
“I would be hopeful that some of the existing staff will keep their jobs, and that most of the employment will be local.”
Peacocks has one store in the county, at the Abbeygate Centre in Arbroath, but shut its previous north Angus venture in Montrose last August, with the loss of all jobs.
It is understood to have taken over the lease for the 594 square metre store from Tillicoutry-based owners Garvock Properties.
Agent RRDS Ltd of Newport in Wales has lodged plans with Angus Council to change the shop front from red to grey, and stated it is “constantly liaising with the local authority”.
It aims for the “creation of a retail clothing outlet in a vacant supermarket (formerly Iceland) unit comprising the construction of new wall between sales and stock area, recolouring of shopfront, erection of new signage” and an increase in the sales area.
Iceland was itself the saviour of Castle Street in 2011 after previous occupant Haldanes closed down in the summer of that year.
Around 20 people lost their jobs when the store closed its doors, victims of a legal wrangle involving the store group.
A spokeswoman for Iceland thanked the town for its custom.
Emily Howells said: “We can confirm that Iceland Forfar will close on Saturday October 8 and our store colleagues are going through a consultation process.
“All remaining stock and assets will be redistributed to other Iceland stores.
“We are very grateful to our customers in Forfar for their support over the years.”
Adjacent properties in Castle Street have been notified of the prospective changes.
