Fortrose Co-op plan sparks objection from community council
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If given the go-ahead by Highland Council planners, the new supermarket would be located on a greenfield site behind Ness Lodge on the junction of Ness Road, Rosemarkie Road and the High Street.
Co-op Food is confirmed as the main tenant, and would occupy a 6000 sq ft building – a big increase on the existing 2300 sq ft store in Fortrose’s High Street. It is thought the smaller site would close if the new store went ahead, although Co-op Food had not responded by the time the Ross-shire Journal went to print.
The applicant, Northquest Ltd, has also earmarked two further building plots for possible future development within the proposed store’s grounds – another 6000 sq ft building and one covering 2500 sq ft.
The store would be accessed via Ness Road and have parking for 79 cars and two motorbikes. The access road also features a bell-shaped junction at its far end, opening up the possibility that nearby land may also be developed in the future if the site went ahead.
The Fortrose and Rosemarkie Community Council has unanimously opposed the proposals, citing concerns over its location within a designated buffer zone that is designed to keep Fortrose and Rosemarkie from merging into one.
Chairman Tom Heath said the community council felt the application fell foul of two elements of the local development plan, the first of which was its location.
He added: “The second is that we were concerned of the effects it would have on the rest of the High Street and the viability of the remainder of the businesses on High Street [if it relocated].”
Those reactions have been shared by some residents, who have been responding to a consultation launched by the community council.
While many welcomed the prospect of a larger Co-op store and greater variety on its shelves, others raised fears that the existing High Street shop’s off-street car park could be lost in the move – forcing cars to park on the main road and putting greater pressure on this notorious traffic bottleneck.
Others shared the community council’s argument that the development is on land zoned as off-limits in the local development plan.
Fears had been raised that a decision last year by Highland councillors to approve a new £4million care home within this buffer zone would set a precedent that opened up the wider area to development. It was passed despite the objection of planning officers.
And this concern was shared by some of the public.
Responding on Facebook to the community council’s call for comment, Gail Paterson said: “It will kill Fortrose High Street if allowed. The care home (while badly needed) has set a precedent so can’t see how this can be knocked back and from there on in the land will go to housing without the infrastructure being sorted out.”
Bridget Gerstner added: “The shop would be nice but not there. This is the foot in the door. Once we agree to this site, there will be no stopping building on the land between Fortrose and Rosemarkie.”
Mr Heath said the community council had taken fears over the care home’s impact on the buffer zone to council officers last year, and that they had been given assurances that its approval would not set a precedent.
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