Supermarket shopping is one of the few constants in life, we all have to do it but it’s something few of us would admit to enjoying.
So when Aldi announced it wanted to move to a bigger store in Elgin it certainly caught the eye.
On the face of it, it’s a major national chain saying it wants to expand in Moray to bring more choice and jobs to the region. In other words, good news.
Dig deeper, and it’s the latest example of firms wanting to bend retail park rules implemented to protect the town centre.
Moray Council has already waived Edgar Road restrictions to allow Iceland to open its Food Warehouse store and for PureGym to move to town.
Aldi’s proposals to open an expanded Elgin store look set to be the latest battleground on town centre planning rules.
Why Aldi wants to move
Aldi says it has outgrown its current town centre store next to Elgin Town Hall.
The firm says moving to Edgar Road will allow it to increase its floor space to increase choice for customers and create 10 new jobs.
They also say the extra space will create a better shopping experience for all with wider aisles and less frequent stocking of shelves.
In fairness, it’s a purely business decision for Aldi.
If they believe their customers will still shop with them and they can make more money, why wouldn’t they want to move? And why wouldn’t Moray Council allow it?
There are clear benefits for both the business and the community.
What Elgin town centre planning rules say
The hurdle for Aldi comes in the shape of planning rules for the Elgin Retail Park units on Edgar Road that they want to move to.
Planning permission was granted for the development in 2003 by Scottish ministers with a strict instruction that it should only be used for “non-food retail”.
That was later changed in 2010 to allow up to 40% of floor space to be used for food, a rule which Home Bargains utilises.
Meanwhile, planning rules for the wider Edgar Road area say proposals should demonstrate there are no town centre sites available for the development.
These are specific planning policies that have been introduced to protect the High Street as the retail heart of Elgin and to stop Edgar Road becoming a supermarket alley.
Regardless, Aldi now want to be the third supermarket on the street alongside Asda and Iceland’s Food Warehouse while Home Bargains and B&M also have smaller food offerings.
Why Aldi’s desire to move in Elgin could be different
Iceland was permitted to open its Food Warehouse store on Edgar Road because it demonstrated no other town centre site could accommodate it, despite Elgin Bid’s objections.
PureGym did the same when it applied for permission for the “non-food retail” restriction to be dropped.
Aldi’s potential problem is that it already occupies a town centre site and operates a popular store from there with easy access to the bus station.
What do you think about Aldi’s plans to move in Elgin? Have your say in the comments section.
Will the supermarket be able to prove it has no other option but to leave its current home, and there are no alternative town centre locations open to it when it already occupies one?
Grampian Furnishers threatened to leave Moray entirely when it applied for planning rules to be bent for it to build its current store next to the A96.
Would it take a similar threat from Aldi to push through a move to Edgar Road?
In truth, what it proves is that planning rules may appear black and white, but in reality they can often be shades of grey.
When it comes to Aldi wanting to move in Elgin, it will come down to who wins the planning argument over what is perceived to be the greater good.
Will they favour a national retailer eager to expand its offering in the town to increase choice and jobs?
Or will the planning rules as they are be strictly enforced to protect town centre trading?
Where there’s a will, logistical problems such as traffic management and access can usually be overcome.
Who wins the latest argument over town centre versus out-of-town developments is much more uncertain to predict.
David Mackay is an Elgin-based journalist for the Press and Journal.
Read more from Elgin
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