A new Sainsbury’s supermarket at Inverurie Retail Park could cause car park chaos, one town centre expert has warned.
The chain wants to take over the Homebase unit at the complex just off Oldmeldrum Road.
The town’s Business Improvement District (Bid) manager, Derek Ritchie, fears that will result in a major increase in the number of shoppers flocking to the site.
Sainsbury’s announced its plans for the spot in August, and bosses are seeking permission to bypass the usual planning rules associated with such a change.
Meanwhile, town centre traders have offered a mixed reaction to the arrival.
‘The pressure on that car park is going to be huge’
Mr Ritchie recently told The Press and Journal that Inverurie town centre has been booming, with the right mix of independent businesses and national chains.
The 59-year-old told us how he fears the Sainsbury’s could impact on the area, joining a retail park that already has a Lidl right next door – along with a Currys, Home Bargains and Iceland.
He said: “My concern about the retail park with Sainsbury’s coming here is the extra customers they’re going to bring to that car park, and the pressure it will have on that.
“There are 350 parking spaces, and that’s supposed to do nine big national stores.
“You can almost guarantee that Sainsbury’s will bring at least five times the number of customers that Homebase does at the moment.”
Mr Ritchie added: “The pressure on that car park is going to be huge, and I can’t see any room for expansion.”
What do town centre traders think?
Shona Singer, of town centre stalwart Strachans, is looking forward to the new Inverurie Sainsbury’s opening – despite sharing concerns about the retail park’s capacity.
She said: “I think Sainsbury’s is a good thing, it’s another name that people know.
“The retail park is already very busy, though, so there is a feeling that people might avoid it.
“That might benefit the town centre, which wouldn’t be a bad thing for us.”
The owner of the William Bruce shoe shop, Steven Bruce, had hoped for a “more retail kind of shop” taking over the former Homebase.
Steven added: “We’ve already got Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl.
“But the main thing is that it won’t be empty.”
Do you think the new Sainsbury’s is a good thing for Inverurie? Let us know in our comments section below
Inverurie Sainsbury’s still to overcome planning wrangle
However, work on the new store is yet to begin.
The new Inverurie Sainsbury’s aims to open in the Homebase, which usually means that the supermarket needs to ask the council for permission to change the use of the building.
But supermarket bosses argue that the unit at the Inverurie Retail Park already has “an unrestricted retail permission”.
Sainsbury’s agents, Alder King Planning Consultants, said: “It is clear from the above that when the decision was granted it was the council’s intent for the unit to be available for any retail use, given its important location within the centre of Inverurie.”
So they are instead only seeking “reassurance” from the local authority that it can move in without the need for any paperwork, which would also mean people can not object to the change.
Sainsbury’s was approached for comment.
Read more from Inverurie:
- Retail guru reveals secrets to making Inverurie ‘Scotland’s busiest town centre’
- Laings: Owners of Inverurie’s oldest business on helping Scotland’s ‘busiest town centre’ thrive
- William Bruce: 100-year-old Inverurie shoe shop reveals how customers from Aberdeen are boosting footfall
- Gordon House: £500k demolition plans for council HQ in Inverurie
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