Sainsburys still on for Nairn

January 27, 2009 · Filed Under Development, Inverness, Nairn, Transport 

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An article at the P&J has Sainsburys committing itself to the planned and delayed development at Nairn in front of the Scottish government:

Sainsbury’s set to go to public inquiry to win Nairn site

Sainsbury’s has confirmed to the Scottish Government’s planning directorate that it remains committed to a proposed new food store for Nairn.

Yesterday’s statement followed news last month that Pettifer Estates, Sainsbury’s development partners on the project, had entered administration.

Sainsbury’s has now taken control of the development process from the administrator.

As a result, the application, which last June received the backing of the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey planning committee, will now be examined by a Scottish Government reporter.

So despite Pettifer Estates going into administration, Sainsburys are taking the plan forward directly.

What’s interesting about the report in the P&J is the following quote:

Last September, Scottish ministers called in the application because councillors had voted against the recommendations of planning officers, who said it breached the local structure plan which bars any new supermarket until 2020, despite a doubling of the local population in a decade.

Hang on – the Local Plan mentions nothing about 2020, and instead declares its interest only up to 2008 – so something looks screwy here.

In the meantime, as the Gurn points out, the Courier notes that Sainsburys are also planning a development at Culloden as part of the Inverness Arc project.

I ran a few searches on Google, BBC and the Highland Council website, but couldn’t find any details about an “Inverness Arc” development.

Inverness Arc certainly sounds interesting, and tied to the new trunk development announced in the transport review – but it would be nice if the HC could make it’s details more available – all I could find was documentation on “City Vision” which was just a fluffy pro-development piece that did not readily mention about any such major retail development.

Seems a typical issue with local government websites – huge archives of information, but little that is current and accessible.

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