Councillors were accused of “sweeping aside” local concerns as they voted to sell off Canal Park to make way for a new Morrisons in Banff.
Members of the Banff and Buchan area committee met today to debate the issue which has divided the community for months.
They had been urged by officers to set in motion plans to offload the lucrative common good land near the mouth of the Deveron to make way for the town’s first major supermarket.
There was some impassioned debate ahead of a decision being reached this afternoon.
But eventually councillors voted 7-3 in favour of proceeding with the sale of Canal Park.
Debate is far from over
That means Aberdeenshire Council will now open up negotiations with Morrisons about the sale of the common good land, and spend £15,000 on lawyers to take the matter to the Court of Session.
Consultants will also be hired to draw up a report on the economic impact of the development.
Although elected members voted to push ahead with the plans, campaigners who are fighting against selling Canal Park have been reassured the matter is not a “fait accompli”.
Argument for a new supermarket
Banff and District councillor John Cox led calls for fellow members to rubber-stamp the proposals.
He said: “We need to see change.
“The retail industry is changing and we need to grasp this opportunity.
“Banff and Macduff have suffered the loss of thousands of jobs from fishing, local government and the Grampian chicken factory – with nothing to replace them.
“I’ve lost count of the number of people who have come to the area and then had to leave again because of the lack of work.
“But this is not a fait accompli, and the judge [at the Court of Session] will still have the final say.”
Mr Cox added that negotiations should begin imminently with the sports clubs who would be left without a home turf if Canal Park is paved over for the shop.
Plea for councillors to listen to local objectors
A 10-week public consultation on the plans this summer attracted scores of objections.
About 62% of the 336 respondents raised concerns.
Banff councillor Glen Reynolds argued that those concerns should be paramount.
He asked that the committee vote to commission studies on the project before agreeing to set the potential sale in motion.
Mr Reynolds said: “This will be a sad day for the council if the outcome of this consultation is swept aside.
“There will be no turning back from the decision that is made today.”
Fraserburgh councillor Brian Topping interjected after the vote to register his dissent.
He said: “Not listening to a public consultation result is beyond the pale.”
History will decide…
After the meeting, Mr Reynolds added: “Democracy has suffered.
“I stand by the people I represent and when they are consulted they have to be listened to.
“To my mind, we simply did not have the information before us to address the concerns that were raised in the consultation.
“We were not in a position to push forward with this project when the information was weak and the voice of the community was not being listened to, including the existing sport users.
“History will decide whether this has been the correct decision.”
‘Getting the balance right’
Committee vice-chairman Michael Roy added: “We appreciate the strength of feeling these proposals have drawn and the decision was very much about getting the balance right.
“What we must focus on now are the benefits it could bring to our communities and the consultation with sports groups to identify potential opportunities will be part of that effort.”
As part of the supermarket, the land has been earmarked for a café, filling station, car wash, and parking.
The football pitch, pavilion, and the former Bridge Street Community Centre will all be lost under the proposals.
The land also includes three redundant tennis courts and a basketball court. The adjacent Princess Royal Park does not form part of the project.
‘Banff isn’t a backwater’: Locals say new Morrisons at Canal Park is needed to boost town centre