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Locals fear supermarket relocation will hit Highland town’s High Street hard

Fortrose Community Council Chairman, Tom Heath beside the field on the outskirts of Fortrose.
Fortrose Community Council Chairman, Tom Heath beside the field on the outskirts of Fortrose.

Proposals by the Co-op to move from its current premises in the centre of Fortrose to a site on the edge of the village threatens the viability of the High Street, according to Fortrose & Rosemarkie community council.

The Co-op has lodged a planning application to move from the High Street further along at Ness Road on the edge of the village, in front of a proposed 40-bed care home.

Community council chairman Tom Heath said the proposal is contrary to the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan which says Highland Council will not support proposals likely to have an adverse impact on town centres, including that of Fortrose.

He said a further two areas are shown in the planning papers as proposed for retail on the same site, which risked further eroding the High Street.

Council planners have asked the developer to change the wording of a statement in the papers suggesting that the community council was behind the development.

Mr Heath said: “We were shown a presentation of what the developer thought the advantages were.

“However we expressly said we would not comment until we knew more about the proposals.

“Then we saw this in the planning application design statement “Further to consultation with Fortrose & Rosemarkie community council the following has been identified in support of the development” followed by all the things the developer said in the presentation.”

Mr Heath added that the site was also in the ‘clear visual break’ between Fortrose and Rosemarkie, described as desirable in the local plan.

The Co-op says the new store will ‘better serve the needs of the people of Fortrose.’

The store is to be leased from developer Northquest Ltd, and the Co-op says it will invest a six figure sum in fitting it out.

A Co-op spokeswoman said: “As a community retailer, we take our role within the town very seriously.

“The new, larger store, which will also be located on the town’s High Street, will offer a wider range of fresh, healthy foods, meal ideas, award-winning wines, locally-sourced produce and essentials, as well as a larger car park.”

She said the investment was likely to create five to 10 jobs for local people.

Traders on Fortrose High Street had mixed feelings about the proposal.

Fraser Gow of Harry Gow Bakery said: “I can see the concerns, it has the potential to pull away footfall.

“But it’s difficult to say what the impact will be.

“It could work well for us as we already supply the Co-op and there might be increased shelf space.”