Planning Approval For Tain Foodstore

At today’s Planning, Development, Europe and Tourism Committee, Highland councillors agreed unanimously to give the go ahead for Lidl UK to build a foodstore on a brownfield site in Tain.

Approval for the development, which will be located at the western edge of the town, is subject to a number of conditions including improvements for pedestrian access, repair to the existing natural stone wall and the submission of a detailed landscape plan.

The detailed planning application, which was recommended for approval by officials, received no objections from the local community council. Local Councillor Alistair Rhind moved for the Committee to approve the application.  He said:  “This development before us today is the start of a new vision for Tain and will encourage private developers to invest in the community.”

At the same meeting, a Planning Hearing concerning an application by ASDA to build a retail store and a petrol station on a 6.5 hectare site on a Greenfield site at the southern edge of the town was deferred. 

The hearing came to halt when it came to light that the applicant within only the last few days had made substantial material changes to their application. Officials had recommended planning permission be refused.

The Director of Planning and Development, John Rennilson explained to Members that the Council had had no time to look in detail at the revisions made to the original applications or had they had the chance to consult with either the local community or other public agencies.  He said:  “The new information we received from the applicant came to us too late to be incorporated in the report Councillors had in front of them today.  Members therefore made a decision to defer the Hearing Procedure to allow for the public and other agencies to see the proposed changes to the original application.”

No date for the deferred hearing has been set.