STONEHAVEN’S quest for a supermarket appears to yet again be facing challenges posed by roads.
Ashfield Commercial Developments are seeking full planning permission for the erection of a retail store, electric vehicle charging hub and Class 3 cafe/restaurant with associated car parking, servicing, landscaping and access at New Mains of Ury – and they have Tesco lined up to operate the store.
But recently added planning application documents reveal the roads development officer is not happy with various aspects of the layout as submitted.
Recording a holding objection on road safety grounds, the officer cites concerns with visiblity splays and says the B979 would require upgrades including a 3m footway/cycleway from East Lodge Drive.
Swept paths are deemed inadequte and the proposed bus stops on the Netherley Road unacceptable as they have no layby. The document calls for a ‘detailed design submission of the upgrades on the B979 for the extent of the frontage’.
Link road headache
Planning permission already exists for a supermarket at Ury Estate – this consent is conditioned on the completion of a road linking the Netherley Road and the Slug Road.
Ironically, the road not yet built and thus stymying Ury Estate’s supermarket hopes also comes to the fore in the ‘roads’ response.
It states: ”We have reviewed the Transport Assessment and junction assessments. The need for a right turn stacking lane has been dismissed on grounds of a low number of right turning vehicles. However, the TA has not taken account of the future committed development at Ury Estate and the completion of a link between the B979 and A957 which will create the most direct route to and from the proposed supermarket for a significant proportion of Stonehaven, as well as increase the level of background trips on the B979 to and from the AWPR/A90/A92 junction. This requires to be reviewed and we contend that a stacking lane provision will be required in this future scenario, and should be considered in line with the above comments on footway provision, crossings, street lighting etc.”
And in a final flourish, traffic from the already consented roadside services facility at Megray along with the proposed store are deemed likely to impact the B979/A90 signal junction and bring a ‘significant risk of queuing blocking the AWPR roundabout’.
The roads development officer has asked that these matters are now fully considered, assessed and addressed.
Tesco’s Ury decision revealed
Also now online is the Applicant Comments on Policy and Retail Comments. A letter at the end of the document details Tesco’s reasons for withdrawing from negotiations at the Ury Estate site in 2020 – and no surprise there, they highlight the difficulties presented because of the need for a link road.
And they say Morrison’s subsequent withdrawal leaves a major question mark over the deliverability of the Ury site.
But Ury Estate developer Jonathon Milne is adamant his proposals will come to fruition.
He told The Bellman: ”The Ury Estate development involves new carefully planned housing communities, new public links and woodland parks , new affordable housing, gifted Rugby pitches and other benefits with linkage to the Stonehaven community. Alongside that the delivery of the re instatement of Ury Castle from ruins and the creation of the fabulous Jack Nicklaus golf course will be a benefit to Stonehaven and Aberdeenshire for centuries to come.
”The Ury Retail Site is an integral part of the masterplan and something we look forward to delivering as part of this masterplan with connection and benefit to the town and Shops of Stonehaven.”
Mr Milne added: ”As a further update, Jack Nicklaus and some of his family visited Ury in August this year to make significant progress to the golf course and we have made great progress onsite this year with the course on schedule for delivery in 2026 as part of the Ury Masterplan.”