Home Bargains Planning Application Passed Despite Council Opposition
>> 16 March 2014
Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) has approved the planning application from Home Bargains to build a store in Fraserburgh.
Supporting the Motion, Peterhead South councillor Stephen Smith said:
“Home Bargains has been a great success in Peterhead and Inverurie and have proved a popular draw for shoppers. I’m happy to support the same thing for Fraserburgh and hope that the existing traders in the town can capitalise on what should result in an increase in shoppers visiting from out of town.”
Fraserburgh councillors Brian Topping, who proposed approval of the application at the Banff & Buchan Area Committee, and Cllr Charles Buchan, who seconded the proposal, have also welcomed the decision.
Cllr Charles Buchan said:
“I am delighted with the decision of the Infrastructure Services Committee yesterday. The local Area Committee supported this development unanimously so I’m glad that this has been taken into account by the ISC.”
Cllr Brian Topping added:
“This is good news for the Broch. Other towns which have had a branch of Home Bargains opening up have benefitted from increased local employment opportunities as well as investment from a big name retailer. Had there been a big enough site in the Town Centre then that would clearly have been the preferred option but there wasn’t, so I’d rather have the investment being made in the Broch that not at all.”
Only four councillors voted against approval of the planning application, including ISC Chairman Cllr Peter Argyle (Lib Dem-Aboyne, Upper Deeside & Donside), Vice-Chairman Cllr Alan Buchan (Ind-Peterhead North) and Cllr Mike Roy (Con-Banff).
