Tesco axe plans for new £15 million Aviemore store

Tesco has confirmed that it has pulled the plug on plans for a badly needed larger store in Aviemore because of the retail giant's current financial challenges.

The proposals for a new £15 million store at Myrtlefield in the village had been expected to create 150 new jobs as well as provide customers with a much larger choice of goods.

In confirming the decision, Tesco bosses said their absolute imperative had to be to protect the future of the business and their workforce of some 300,000 staff across the UK.

Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor Bill Lobban said: "This is incredibly disappointing but not unexpected news. Bad news for Aviemore and bad news for the whole of Badenoch and Strathspey.

"However, this must open the door to other major retailers to consider investing in Aviemore, a place which has everything going for it except a decent sized supermarket.

"Obviously Tesco own the proposed development site and are unlikely to sell it to a competitor but there are other potential sites and I will be asking Highland Council and the Cairngorms National Park Authority to assist in bringing the commercial potential of Aviemore and the wider strath to the attention of major supermarket companies.

"There is a market out there and I feel sure the wider community would welcome introducing some genuine competition to the area.

"Tesco claim that they wish to work to find the best solution for the community. I have a feeling that Tesco’s ideal solution may be somewhat different from ours."

There have been constant delays over the proposals for the 45,000 square feet supermarket which would have been three times the current size of the outlet in the village centre.

The plans for the new outlet were first announced in June 2008.

One of the hold-ups to the plans was a condition of the consent from the Cairngorms National Park Authority for the safe translocation of northern damselfly from a pond on the site - the Old Santa Claus Land - to another habitat.

Tesco confirmed earlier today it has cancelled plans to build eight new supermarkets in Scotland.

New stores at Banff, Cowdenbeath, Crieff, East Kilbride, Fort William, Glasgow and an extension to Cupar’s store have also been cancelled.

The projects were among 49 proposed new store developments across the UK shelved by the supermarket chain.

Tesco has said it will also close 43 unprofitable stores across the UK - many of them local convenience shops.

Mr Dave Lewis, Tesco’s chief executive officer, said: "It is with a heavy heart that I am today announcing that we are unable to proceed with eight planned new store developments across Scotland.

"Our performance as a business has fallen significantly short of where we would want it to be and my absolute imperative has to be to protect the future of our business for the 300,000 colleagues we employ in communities all over the UK."

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