Campaigners are growing hopeful Morrisons could axe its Banff plans, as a rival Aldi opening nearby becomes increasingly likely.
Morrisons has been working towards building a new store at Canal Park for several months, despite many locals objecting to football pitches being paved over.
While those plans have been taking shape, Aldi stepped in with proposals just a short distance away in Macduff…
Morrisons silent on Banff plans being rocked by Macduff Aldi
Morrisons has previously appeared to warn Aberdeenshire Council that it wants to be the only game in town.
And the local authority has now defied its requests by progressing the Aldi scheme, which seems to be on the brink of securing planning permission.
The Press and Journal approached Morrisons asking how this would affect the firm’s plans for Canal Park.
But a spokesman refused to confirm whether bosses remain committed to the Banff store, saying the company is “not in a position to comment”.
Council asked to ‘make a choice’ between Banff Morrisons and Macduff Aldi
Urging the local authority to “make a choice”, Morrisons management previously stressed that it would create 85 more jobs than the Aldi.
And bosses even requested that both schemes should be decided at the same meeting.
Councillors have now gone against one of those key demands.
Local members Hamish Partridge and Mark Findlater have agreed to place the decision in the hands of the planning department.
Together, they outvoted Ross Cassie – who argued it “should be heard in a public forum”.
This means the application won’t be decided at a meeting of councillors.
Campaigners ‘delighted’ at prospect of Morrisons U-turn
Rachel Kennedy, from the Canal Park campaign group, reckons the 12,000-strong population might not be able to support two large grocery shops.
She said: “We are absolutely delighted at the idea of Macduff getting the supermarket they have always wanted.
“Hopefully this might make Morrisons think twice.
“It appears they feel like the community can’t support two supermarkets, and we share that concern.
“With Aldi being the popular choice, would there be enough interest in a Morrisons?”
Banff Morrisons vs Macduff Aldi: How does support compare?
The Morrisons application, which was lodged in the middle of February, has proven far more divisive than Aldi’s.
It has attracted 108 objections and 63 letters of support.
Meanwhile, only three people have objected to the Aldi plans while 136 have urged Aberdeenshire Council to approve the new shop.
How likely is Aldi to get approved?
As well as being backed by an overwhelming majority of residents, various council departments and official bodies have also given Aldi their blessing.
The council’s environmental health team has raised no objections, nor have flooding experts.
While the decision will remain up to officers, no major reasons for refusal have yet been offered.
And what about Morrisons?
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has objected to the Morrisons application.
Their letter states: “The site is fully within the functional floodplain based on the Sepa flood maps.
“This indicates that there is a medium to high risk of flooding from the River Deveron.”
Sports body has fears about loss of pitches
The council’s environment team has signaled its approval as long as the car park is “shielded” with a landscaped area.
But Sport Scotland has voiced concerns about the loss of the Canal Park football pitches.
As a result, the quango has lodged a “holding objection” while seeking more information on alternatives being made available to local teams.
Aldi declined to comment on the latest development, but pointed to previous research showing that more than 700 people in Macduff would welcome the new shop.
You can view the Macduff Aldi plans here and Banff Morrisons here.
