Asda Update
2 September 2009: Agreement reached on road costs
Highland Council and Asda have reached agreement that road improvement costs will be met by Asda if it is shown that their store is the cause of traffic congestion at Inshes Roundabout and the A9 slip road. The brief wrangle should not cause any delay in the completion of the supermarket.
25 July 2009: Asda gets green light
Scottish Government Ministers have granted permission for the Asda store at Slackbuie, Inverness following a two week long Public Local Inquiry in February. This confirms the 15 votes to 2 decision of Inverness Planning Application & Review Committee back in January 2008.
However road improvements including work to the Inshes roundabout, estimated at approx £1.5m, will not be carried out by Asda as originally required by local councillors. After agreeing to carry these out, the company has withdrawn apparently following the Reporter’s view that these improvements could not be made a condition of the planning approval. This decision has caused local surprise and disappointment.
Asda will now submit a detailed planning applcation for the store.
3 February 2009: Public Local Inquiry dates
The date for resumption of the Public Inquiry has now been confirmed. It will be held at the Waterside Hotel, 19 Ness Bank, Inverness from Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February. The times will be 10.00 - 5.00 Monday and 9.30 - 4.30 Tuesday to Thursday.
Evidence will be heard on behalf of Asda, Highland Council, Inverness Estates, local Community Councils, and a local resident.
21 October 2008: Asda granted postponement
Asda Stores have been granted a postponement of the Public Local Inquiry to allow traffic modelling to be carried out on changes to the Inshes roundabout which may reduce traffic levels near the proposed store. The Inquiry will resume on 16th February 2009 after Asda have complete the models and objectors have had a chance to examine them (and everyone has had a Christmas break!)
17 October 2008: Asda seek postponement
According to reports in the Highland News and Scotsman, Asda are seeking a of the Public Local Inquiry into their Slackbuie proposal, to discuss traffic issues with Highland Council. The Inquiry is expected to open as planned, with the Reporter considering the request for postponement and making a decision on whether to accede to it.
9 September 2008: Public Local Inquiry details
The Public Local Inquiry into plans for a new Asda supermarket at Slackbuie Inverness will commence at 10.00 AM on Monday 20th October 2008 and will be held in the main hall of Inshes Primary School, Inverness.
Papers will be required from those wishing to take part at least 4 weeks before the enquiry, which is expected to last about 5 days. Written statements of evidence will need to be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance.
Copies of the majority of inquiry papers will be available 4 weeks before the start of the Inquiry, at Inshes Library/Community Facilities which is at Inshes Primary School.
More information from:
Directorate for Planning & Environmental Appeals
4 The Courtyard
Callendar Business Park
Callendar Road
Falkirk
FK1 1XR
Ref: NA/HLD/037
12 August 2008: More than 100 back Asda, says P&J
More than 100 people have written to the Scottish Government in support of plans for a new Asda supermarket in Inverness, according to a report in the Press & Journal.
It reports that a total of 110 letters have been received by the government reporter in advance of a public inquiry on the proposals for the site at Slackbuie and that just nine objected to the development.
The report is at this link:
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/783142?UserKey=
30 June 2008: Supermarket wars in the Highlands ?
Supermarket development has reached a frenzy in the North with Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury, Asda and Tesco all involved in developments in one part or another of the area. Would anyone out there like to start a website to cover this and keep us informed as it all develops? Could be interesting to read but a lot of work to write.
24 June 2008: Asda hearing in October ?
Also in the same Courier report (24th June) it mentions that the public inquiry into Asda’s Slackbuie application is to be held in October. There has been no news of the preparatory hearing previously reported in the P&J on 24th May.
24 June 2008: Tesco moves on Dores Road site
The Courier reports (24th June) that Tesco is about to submit a detailed planning application for a 27,000 sq ft shop at the Holm Mains site on Dores Road. It already has outline consent for this site, where plans for a much bigger 47,000 sq ft supermarket were turned down in December 2007 after a local planning inquiry.
13 June 2008: Community Councils support Asda
A P&J report on Asda claims that a further 10 Inverness Community Councils have comeout in favour the Slackbuie application. The report does not give their names of the new supporters, although it does list previous supporters as:
- Lochardil and Drummond
- Culcabock and Drakies
- Hilton, Milton and Castle Heather
- Inverness South
- Crown
The P&J report is at:
24 May 2008: Preparatory hearing date set
According to a report in the P&J preparatory hearing to set a date for the public inquiry will be on June 16 at 7pm, at a venue to be decided. The source of this information is not clear.
18 March 2008: Application called in
The Scottish Government announced that the application will be called in for a public inquiry. This could refuse the application or, if confirmed, delay it for up to 18 months. Date still to be set. The planning approval had been referred to the Scottish Government as the scale of development went against the council’s local plan. Ministers had the choice of approving the decision or calling in the application or holding a public inquiry.
5 February 2008: Conditions determined
Conditions relating to the outline planning permission approved the previous month were agreed by the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications & Review Committ. These covered such issues as the A9 southbound exit slipway, preparation of a Travel Plan to ensure access to the store, ‘Transport Gain’ for the Council, accommodating development traffic in the short-term as the Council had alternative long-term proposals for the Trunk Link Road and Inshes roundabout, safe access for all users to the store, and appropriate bi lingual Gaelic / English signs.
15 January 2008: Application granted
A meeting of the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications & Review Committee held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Tuesday, 15 January, 2008 approved in principle the Asda application for a 70,000 square foot superstore at Slackbuie by 15 votes to 2. In addition to the superstore, there will also be a filling station and 5 small retail units on the site, which is across the road from the new Gaelic School. Planning officials had recommended refusal of the application.
Conditions relating to the application will be discussed at the next meeting of the Committee.
4 December 2007: Application deferred again
A meeting of the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications & Review Committee held in the Town House, Inverness on Tuesday, 15 January, 2008 the application was deferred as a decision had been received that morning in respect of the appeal by Tesco against the Council’s refusal of their application for a superstore at Dores Road, Ness-side, Inverness. More time was needed to take account of the legal and planning implication of the Reporter’s views prior to determining the similar Asda application.
12 June 2007: Application deferred
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications & Review Committee voted by 12 to 6 that the application be deferred to allow the applicants to submit a fuller traffic impact assessment.
18 July 2006: Application submitted
Outline planning application for 45,000 sq ft net superstore, filling station and 5 retail units submitted to Highland Council. Asda claims it is a £27m investment and that 400 jobs will be created.