A north-east football club is urging Aberdeenshire Council to stop Morrisons paving over their park for a new Banff supermarket.
Kevin Stewart, the chairman of the Deveronvale Community FC youth side, is pleading with elected members to reject the plans for Canal Park.
After years of debate, the local authority is being asked to reach a decision on the proposal on Tuesday.
Officials have called for it to be refused over traffic and flooding fears, but Banff and Buchan councillors could defy the recommendation and vote it through.
Football boss’s plea to save park
Kevin Stewart, the chairman of Deveronvale Community FC and Hub, is pleading with the committee to “lift the dark cloud” that has been hanging over the park.
He said: “There has been a dark cloud hanging over this site for far too long.
“We are just one of the football clubs using this site weekly, but we are the largest voluntary organisation in our community – providing opportunities for our grassroots players to participate in sport as well as supporting families in our community.
“We do hope that our councillors refuse the planning application and lift the dark cloud once and for all.”
Banff Rovers previously railed against the plans too.
‘We fear we may be overlooked’
Rachel Kennedy, who leads the Save Our Canal Park campaign group, said it’s also a “well-used space” for dog walkers and recreation.
She added: “Banff is located on the coast and we have already seen more flooding than usual this winter.
“But we fear that residents wishes will be overlooked.”
Since the plans were lodged, 185 locals have written to the council calling for them to be refused.
But are some people in favour of the supermarket plans?
However, many in Banff say the planned Morrisons would boost the town centre – while offering a better range of groceries and value for money.
Businessman Scott Birnie previously told us that saying no to the retail giant would “send the message that we are this backwater that don’t want big firms coming”.
The director of the Good Sleep Company bed shop was one of 183 residents to write to the council backing Morrisons’ vision.
His letter states: “I feel it will bring many shoppers to the area and improve upon the offering that is already here, particularly for fuel.”
Do you think the Morrisons plans should be approved? Let us know in our comments section below
The new store would bring an estimated 175 jobs to the area, and it is understood the land would be sold for more than £1 million.
Brenda Ledger, from Macduff, wrote: “Banff would definitely benefit from a large supermarket with all the different shopping facilities that Morrisons can offer.
“I also feel that this would generate employment/jobs for the town.”
You can see the plans here.
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