A multi-million pound retail factory’s impact on Arbroath town centre is key to any decision on approving the development, councillors have been told.
Big name national outlets are understood to be lining up a move to units which developers aim to create on the site of the old Metal Box factory on Dundee Road.
A public consultation event surrounding the proposal for the now cleared land, latterly occupied by Presentation Products, has already been staged, with the applicants saying they have been encouraged by potential interest in a project they believe could create hundreds of new jobs.
The vision includes food, non-food and drive-through units and will pass through the next stage of the planning process on Tuesday when Angus development standards committee councillors consider a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for the 3.3 hectare Elliot Industrial Estate site.
Those behind the scheme say they have been encouraged by early interest from potential arrivals who currently don’t have a presence in the town.
Lying to the north of Dundee Road, the site is also to the immediate south west of the existing Westway retail park.
The land has historically been associated with industrial uses and Angus officials have said a number of policies will require to be considered in relation to the proposal.
The land is allocated in the adopted Angus development plan as an existing employment site and officers say that would generally be reserved for class uses including business, general industry and storage or distribution.
Service leader Kate Cowey’s report states: “A significant issue in relation to an application for large-scale retail development at this location would be impact of the development on the vitality and viability of town centres.
“Consideration of such impact is normally informed through the provision of a retail impact assessment.
“This can be complex and committee is advised that specialist consultants may be engaged by the planning service to review any retail impact assessment submitted in support of a future planning application.”
Angus officials have also flagged up what they consider to be a number of other key determining issues, including traffic impacts, landscaping and design, flood risk and drainage, and the rationale for site selection.
