Residents reel from Tesco store shock
BANFF and Macduff have suffered a body blow and the local business community has been left reeling by the shock news that Tesco has pulled the plug on its planned Banff store development.
Tesco’s decision threw into doubt Aberdeenshire Council plans for £12.5 million-worth of badly-needed new sports and community facilities for the twin towns, to be funded in part by the proceeds from the sale of Canal Park to the superstore chain.
The beleagured retail giant, hit hard by falling profits, announced last Thursday that it is to close 43 of its unprofitable UK stores and has cancelled plans to build 49 new outlets – eight of them in Scotland, including the proposed Bridge Road store in Banff.
Tesco’s chief executive officer Dave Lewis confirmed that the Banff development had been shelved in a statement issued to the "Journal" last Thursday.
He said: "It is with a heavy heart that I am today announcing that we are unable to proceed with our planned new store development in Banff.
"We are aware of our obligation to buy the site from Aberdeenshire Council and will honour that obligation. We will work closely with them to find the right solutions for the people of Banff and Macduff."
Aberdeenshire Council is currently seeking Court of Session approval for a change of the common good order to permit the £9.5 million sale of Canal Park to Tesco.
Aberdeenshire Council’s leader, Councillor Jim Gifford, reacted to the retailer’s shock announcement with an insistence that more than two years of consultation with residents to finalise plans for the proposed sports and community facilities for Banff and Macduff will not be wasted.
He said: "The community consultation that we undertook was comprehensive and together we have created proposals for new sports and leisure facilities.
"We remain committed to developing the sports and leisure provision in the area and we will continue to have a constructive dialogue with Tesco."
