AT last night’s meeting of Stonehaven and District Community Council, members heard from the developers of Ury Estate who described their recent planning application for a supermarket.
The new proposals would replace those in an existing planning approval with a different design and layout to accommodate the operational requirements of the operator, Wm Morrison Supermarket – the overall size of the store and the amount of car parking would remain unchanged.
Architect Dereck Pirouet said: ”The operational requirements of the experience that Morrisons wish to offer can’t be accommodated in the original layout.”
Mr Pirouet said the arrival of Morrisons would bring benefits and gains to Stonehaven.
”A retail site has been an aspiration for many years. Employment would be generated with 120 new jobs in the store, including a community champion. There will also be a community meeting room for use by the community.”
He added: ”A core value of Morrisons is they seek to support local producers and suppliers.”
Concerns about traffic
Mike Duncan said the supermarket would bring an additional 750 cars per day rising to 1,000 at the weekend – travelling up the Belmont Brae and Slug Road.
”Neither of these roads are suitable for that volume of traffic,” he said.
”We want to be reassured this is something the council will look at.”
Mr Duncan added he and Raymond Christie have for some time called for double yellow lines at the bottom of Slug Road where there is a tight bend.
And chairman Bill Watson noted householders at the Kirkton Homes housing estate had aired concerns that their area could become a rat run once the link road was completed.
Stonehaven to have traffic management review
Councillors Wendy Agnew, Sarah Dickinson, Colin Pike and Dennis Robertson were all in attendance at the meeting. While they are not permitted to pass comment on a planning application until it is being considered in committee, Mr Robertson did offer some relevant information.
He said: ”A review will be looking at the complete road management system in Stonehaven.”
