Home Bargains is on the brink of securing planning permission for a new store on the east side of Inverness.
The variety chain is hoping to build its new shop in Stratton, on land between Smithton and the new Culloden West housing development.
Applicant TJ Morris – the company that owns Home Bargains – held two public consultations last year to gauge local opinion.
And its prospects of succeeding with the proposal have been given a huge boost after Highland Council’s planning department recommended its approval.
The decision of whether to approve or reject it will ultimately be made by the council’s south planning applications committee at a meeting on December 10.
Objections made over Home Bargains’ Inverness plan
The retail unit would be a substantial size, around 35,000 sq ft.
It would also include a garden centre and a cafe.
There will also be a large area for allotments which would be transferred to the council and then let to a community group.
The application has attracted a significant number of letters of support and objection.
There have been 139 in total, with 112 in support, 26 objecting and one neither supporting nor objecting.
The concerns among the objectors include:
- an increase in noise, pollution and litter
- traffic congestion
- a reduction in privacy for nearby houses
- the development is less than two miles away from a major retail park
- that the community needs services like schools, doctors and dentists – rather than a chain store
Christina and Michael Wood, who live in nearby Sinclair Park, Smithton, are among those who have objected.
In a statement, they said: “Everyone [we] have spoken to in our street is horrified at this proposal.
“The loss of green space is appalling . Plans viewed before showed this proposed area to be of ‘mixed use’ which showed green space.
“A massive Home Bargains over our garden fences is not conducive to enjoying ‘green space’.
“We desperately hope that these plans will be rejected.”
New Home Bargains store in Inverness would provide ‘substantial economic benefits’
Information provided by planning firm Iceni on TJ Morris’s behalf said that the proposal would create 40 jobs and provide an investment of £6m.
A statement from Iceni said: “The addition of a Home Bargains retail store, ancillary cafe and community allotments to Stratton promises substantial economic benefits.
“[It] injects vitality into the local economy by creating employment opportunities and drawing shoppers from neighbouring areas, thus stimulating spending.
“Meanwhile, the community allotments encourage self-sufficiency, potentially reducing food expenses for residents and fostering a sense of community cohesion.”
There are a large number of letters of support for an application like this.
Many of them have been written identically and include a sign-off from Fergus Johnston from Spaces.
Dozens of them say: “The new development should be approved because good quality and value for money retail options are scarce in this area.
“A new store to serve the surrounding area is very much needed.”
Are there other Home Bargains shops in Inverness?
Home Bargains already has an Inverness store at the Rose Street retail park.
It is also poised to snap up the space recently left behind by the closure of Wickes on Longman Road.
The first Home Bargains shop opened in 1976.
Since then, it has grown into a major chain with more than 500 stores.
Its turnover in 2021-2022 was £3.4 billion.
The Stratton area of Inverness is also growing.
Numerous new homes have been been built along either side of Barn Church Road in the last few years.
A masterplan for a new community in Stratton was lodged way back in 2009.
It is ultimately hoped to eventually consist of around 2,500 homes.
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