Aldi "disappointed and surprised" as Castle Douglas proposal recommended for refusal
dailyrecord.co.ukPlans for a £6.4million supermarket in Castle Douglas have been recommended for refusal. Aldi wants to develop a site on Oakwell Road, creating as many as 35 jobs.
But officials have recommended councillors reject the proposal when the planning committee meets on Wednesday as they fear the store would have an “adverse impact” on existing businesses.
A spokesman for Aldi said: “Despite overwhelming public support for our proposals, we are disappointed and surprised that the application has been recommended for refusal by the planning department. “We remain confident, however, that the planning application is supported by a very robust planning case and, coupled with the overwhelming level of public support for the proposals, we look forward to presenting our case to councillors at next week’s committee meeting.” The firm claims that more than 90 per cent of people who responded to a consultation were in favour of the development which would make a “positive contribution” to the community by reducing the distance people had to travel for their shopping, cheaper goods and more choice.
In his report for the meeting, case officer Andrew Robinson says it is “clear” from an independent retail assessment that the proposal would have “a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Castle Douglas town centre”.
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