Council Approve Plans For Asda Highlands Store

Thu, 17 Jan 2008
 
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Asda’s plan to build a superstore on the outskirts of Inverness has been approved by councillors in the area.

The new store will be the first Asda supermarket in Inverness, dubbed ‘Tesco town’ due to its dominance over the city .

Highland Council's Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey committee voted 15-2 in favour of outline permission for a the development of a new superstore, petrol filling station, five small retail units and associated works on land at Slackbuie Farm, Inverness.

However, the store proposal must first be approved by ministers because councillors on the local planning committee had ignored the local plan and advice from planning officials and initially recommended turning down Asda’s plans.

Among the main reasons given for refusal were; going against planning policy, the proposed scale of the store and concerns over road congestion in the area.

Tesco may now try to launch a legal challenge as it was last year refused planning permission for a fourth store in the Highland capital for reasons similar to those overruled by councillors on Tuesday.

Michael Gibson, who represented the five community councils closest to the Asda site, welcomed the new store and the competition it will bring to Tesco, which is estimated to receive 51p of every £1 spent on food in Inverness.

He said: "We have waited a long time for Asda and look forward to competition and choice. We are tired of Tesco dominating the shopping scene."

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