Farmfoods Inverurie plan hangs in the balance
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Scottish based frozen food retailer Farmfoods which unveiled ambitious plans to create a new build store in the heart of Inverurie in March last year could see its plans potentially move forward next week.
The vacant site at Constitution Street, which adjoins Burn Lane was the location for the former Health Centre which was demolished several years ago.
In November 2019 Aberdeen based developer West Coast Estates announced it would be bringing forward proposals for the site in an effort to deliver four new retails units, including a Starbucks drive- thru.
However this was refused by the council in May of 2020 and an appeal was subsequently dismissed in September 2020.
Originally founded in Aberdeen in 1954 Farmfoods now has over 340 stores throughout Great Britain and is headquarters in Cumbernauld.
The new proposal came after the company closed it previous premises at North Street back in March 2020, citing the lack of space within the small unit.
This unit is now set to open as a branch of charity Chest Heart and Stroke in the coming weeks, despite having gained permission to be turned into a restaurant.
In a submitted planning statement the company explained: " Although it was the landlord’s decision to terminate the lease of the premises of the former Farmfoods in Inverurie at 1 North Street, it was a very small unit which was incapable of stocking a reasonable range of Farmfoods’ products and could not provide customers with direct access to surface level parking.
"As a result of these limitations and competition from the major foodstores in the town including Tesco, Morrisons and the food discounters, this store was unsustainable economically.
"However, Farmfoods are committed to identifying a new location for a store in Inverurie, and the Constitution Street site provides an ideal opportunity to provide a modern store appropriate for the needs of the town which has the added benefit that it is in a location within the defined town centre.
"Farmfoods wish to invest in a store that would be their most modern, accessible and attractive branch in the North of Scotland."
"Farmfoods is very eager to be able to serve the community of Inverurie and nearby rural areas and the Constitution Street site would provide an ideal opportunity for the company to re-establish itself in this role by redeveloping the brownfield site and delivering a flagship store for the people of Inverurie."
Central Inverurie continues to suffer from chronic parking issues which have previously put paid to proposals at both this site and a vacant one situated to its north-east which remains undeveloped after over a decade.
With this in mind, the full application will go before members of the Garioch area committee next Tuesday and has been cited for refusal by planners.
The report cites; "In proposing a single retail operator the development does not comply with the OP2 Former Garioch Health Centre allocation. "This allocation seeks to achieve mixed use development.
"Whilst the development does provide the retail element, it clearly fails to provide the suitable mix of uses
"Farmfoods have a pre-set model of delivery and to some extent it is the pre-set model and the lack of flexibility that comes with this that presents a challenge for this site and this particular applicant."
It concludes: "The Planning Service has considered all the other matters raised, but it is concluded that there are no material considerations which would justify granting planning permission."
