Plans for new Morrisons supermarket in Banff refused
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Councillors have today (Tuesday) refused plans for a new Morrisons supermarket in Banff, supporting a motion by planners who moved that it should be refused on several grounds.
The retailer is proposing to build the store at the town's Canal Park on common good land.
As well as the supermarket the application also includes a café, petrol station and car parking.
In the report Aberdeenshire Council's planning department recommended that the proposal be refused with flooding a key concern.
It outlined: "The principle of a supermarket on the site may be acceptable in terms of the site’s Local Development Plan allocation and details of the main building’s design and finish may be considered appropriate to the location, whilst there would almost certainly be social and economic benefits to the development.
"However, there are issues relating to site access and especially to site flooding and drainage which have not been – and indeed may not be able to be – satisfactorily addressed."
This version of the plans for the new supermarket were submitted to Aberdeenshire Council in February 2022 and would see the football pitch removed and the former community centre on Old Market Place demolished, along with the out of use tennis court and pavilion.
Banff and Buchan area committee councillors assessed the proposal during their meeting with positive support from all quarters on the proposal, but concerns over aspects including flood risk objections from SEPA.
Councillor John Cox said: "For nearly 20 years that has been a cloud over the area as this site has been earmarked for development, but always with uncertainty.
"There is a demand for a supermarket in the area and also the campaign support to save Canal Park.
"When we look at the loss of other retail, town centres are changing and the loss of businesses and banks off the back of not supporting applications of this type is clear.
"But there also has to be some action taken on the road junction issue and that has not been addressed.
"We have to send out a positive signal that we need investment, but this application would leave us in a difficult position (due to the road issue).
Fellow councillor Glen Reynolds said: "This is has been a long journey to where we are now that has staggered along the way.
"The community is divided over this, I understand that, it is a hearts and minds issue, but that in itself is not part of this process.
"This is the right idea but in the wrong place, not least because of the flooding report from SEPA.
"There is to much to lose for what is cherished by the community.
"It's is not about Morrisons, their brand is well known, but this is simply in the wrong place, we can't have an application that is metaphorically set in sand.
"There are to many unknowns over flooding and road safety."
He continued: "The only way to deal with these is a fresh application and that is not what is in front of us."
Councillor Cox added: "Because mitigations haven't been addressed we have no where to go with this application and its potential impacts.
"Banff and Buchan is open for investment and we hope that discussions take place to find an alternative site,"
A motion by councillor Reynolds, seconded by councillor Stewart Adams was unanimously approved to agree with the planners proposal to refuse the application.
