Tesco deny rumours that new store is to be shelved

Ally McRoberts • Published 27 Jan 2012 08:40 13 Comments

Share this

click to enlarge
Pictured is work under way at the site.

TESCO have insisted they WILL be going ahead with their new superstore in the centre of Dunfermline.

Rumours have swept the city that the retail giant was going to shelve their plans, despite spending up to £2million on roadworks around the site.

But a Tesco spokesman insisted the long-awaited Carnegie Drive store - permission was granted way back in May 2008 - will proceed.

He said, "The planning consent requires that we complete the roadworks before commencing with the next stage of the programme.

"Work on the roads infrastructure is progressing well and is on target for completion in late spring.

"We remain committed to completion of the new store and the timetable for the next stages of construction are currently being reviewed."

Fife Council say they anticipate the new road layout surrounding the Tesco Extra becoming operational at the end of March and work beginning on the construction of the store soon after.

This will see a new junction at Pilmuir Street/Carnegie Drive and the north side of Bruce Street being closed, with traffic diverted round the north of the store along Winterthur Lane.

All of the roadworks, including the construction of a footpath/cycleway on the west side of the new store, are due to be complete in June and the store could be open in November.

The total cost of the roadworks, around £2million, is being met by Tesco.

The company was given planning permission for a 60,000 sq ft superstore, which is expected to create up to 500 jobs and attract 30,000 customers per week, almost four years ago after a long, drawn-out process.

Since then, progress has been slow although the council said that building work on the new Tesco could not start until firefighters had moved out of the old fire station in Carnegie Drive and the new facility in Pitreavie became operational - in March 2010.

The proposed site was eventually cleared when the empty, and fire-hit, Thomsons World of Furniture building was demolished in January 2011.

Another delay was down to wrangling over parking, with Fife Council car parks at Bruce Street and Carnegie Drive being closed to accommodate the new superstore.

There was financial recompense written into the deal and conditions attached to the planning approval said Tesco should pay a £500,000 commuted sum for transportation and £135,000 for public art.

There was also a stipulation that Tesco should pay a further £528,000 for the loss of 48 car-parking spaces but they argued against this successfully.

A new car park with around 550 spaces will be available when the store finally opens and motorists will have to pay to park there - with Tesco keeping all the income.

Fife Council's Mark Barrett explained, "The Tesco car park will operate and be charged in accordance with the Fife Council parking strategy.

"The car park will be available for Tesco customers and general public use.

"It will be a three-hour maximum stay car park with charges applying Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, as per council car parks."

It's understood that Tesco will validate parking subject to a minimum spend, meaning that customers would not, in effect, pay for parking.

Mr Barrett said, "Tesco intend to utilise a pay-on-foot system, which means barriers at the entrance and exit.

"Drivers will obtain a ticket at the entrance barrier and pay the appropriate parking charge prior to leaving the car park.

"There will be approximately 550 car-parking spaces available within the car park, with no differentiation between Tesco and general public car parking.

"Tesco will retain the income from the car park."

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

jesstd
33 posts
Jan 27, 08:51
Report comment

Where have the rumours come from?

I can't see this not happening. Superstores are fighting for market share at the moment and a site with retail consent and some completion of enabling infrastructure would be snapped up.

Recommend? Yes 6 No 2
char
11 posts
Jan 27, 19:09
Report comment

Tesco have delayed their Cupar development. Given they've denied delaying the Dunfermline one I'd expect it's still coming. People trying to put 2 and 2 and getting 5.

The barrier system sounds crazy. In Livi the ASDA does 2 hours free and fines anyone there longer. Everyone else is expected to park in the other car parks.

Recommend? Yes 4 No 2
justsayin
4 posts
Jan 27, 20:42
Report comment

I would rather have a sainsburys

Recommend? Yes 21 No 8
Ulysees
30 posts
Jan 28, 00:44
Report comment

I was in a Tesco store in Ludlow last year and they implement the same payment structure for their car park. It actually works quite well and if you're doing a weekly shop there then you get the cost of your parking deducted off your final bill at the check out so essentially it isn't actually costing you anything. The worrying part is:

"The Tesco car park will operate and be charged in accordance with the Fife Council parking strategy."

This is the same Fife Council that seriously expect people to pay their ridiculous multi story parking charges to shop in what has to be one of the most pathetic shopping centres in Scotland!

Recommend? Yes 18 No 5
Blackadder
162 posts
Jan 28, 10:08
Report comment

"There will be approximately 550 car-parking spaces available within the car park, with no differentiation between Tesco and general public car parking.

Tesco will retain the income from the car park."

There's the difference, general public car parking revenue from a pay car park in this area of Dunfermline used to go to Fife Council.

Recommend? Yes 12 No 0
DunfermlineEast
59 posts
Jan 28, 10:35
Report comment

@ Ulysees - That is called validated parking. You get the cost of parking off your purchase, in some places after a minimum spend. That is something that Edinburgh and other places with parking issues should consider to make their towns more appealing to shoppers and encourages people to spend.

Recommend? Yes 8 No 0
char
11 posts
Jan 28, 11:56
Report comment

Ulysees, Fife Council don't own the Kingsgate multi-storey...it's privately owned by APCOA.

Recommend? Yes 9 No 0
sliver
1 post
Jan 31, 22:24
Report comment

When the Carnegie Centre development was "under discussion", I questioned local parking acknowledging that this would add to the expense of visiting the centre. I was assured that the parking would be free for leisure centre users. It would appear that Fife Council have in no uncertain terms lied.

Recommend? Yes 11 No 1
Ulysees
30 posts
Feb 1, 18:17
Report comment

@ EsseQuamVideri - Tyvm for the insight on validated parking. It is a good idea and it does make town centres more appealing. Unfortunately I think it's come a little too late to entice shoppers back into what's left in Dunfermline.

@Char - Tyvm for the insight into the owners of the mutli-storey. I still maintain the prices they're charging are simply extortionate given the fact I can park in Livingston for a hour for £0.50.

Back on topic. Does anyone else think the only reason Tesco are proceeding with this new build is because they've already put so much money down on this project it simply wouldn't be cost efficient to pull out now? Not to mention the bad press they'd receive. Given the turbulent time's we're living in and the recent plummet in the Tesco share price over the Christmas period I suppose it's only a matter of time until they realise they've overstretched and start cutting back here and there or closing down stores.

Recommend? Yes 7 No 4
supersonic
39 posts
Feb 2, 03:20
Report comment

Every little helps

Recommend? Yes 0 No 1
supersonic
39 posts
Feb 2, 03:22
Report comment

@Ulysees are you still searching through the galaxy's?

Recommend? Yes 1 No 0
Ulysees
30 posts
Feb 2, 14:59
Report comment

@Supersonic - What can I say. . . . . . . . I defied the Gods :p

Recommend? Yes 0 No 0
char
11 posts
Feb 9, 22:52
Report comment

Ulysees, you can park in Dunfermline's Council run car parks for 2 hours for a quid. Now, I'm no mathematician but isn't that 50p an hour? Amusingly, the Livingston car parks are run by the same people who run the Kingsgate centre's car park.

Save your petrol money and support Dunfermline's economy. Why not partner a trip round the shops with a walk round the Glen? It's beautiful this time of year. The works at the Pavilion look good.

Fife Council should be speaking with landlords to entice more indendent retail to areas like Bridge Street. Not everyone wants Top Shop and Next.

Recommend? Yes 2 No 0

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Dunfermline Press Poll

Should Scotland be an independent country?

This Poll is now closed.

Yes (64.0%)

No (36.0%)

Follow @dunfermlinep