Sainsbury‘s has robustly defended its proposed extension for a new supermarket in Inverurie, seeking to allay fears raised by Aberdeenshire Council’s roads team regarding potential traffic disruption and parking congestion. The retailer is urging council officials to approve its plans for the Inverurie Retail Park site.
The national supermarket giant received initial approval in November 2024 to convert the former Homebase store located at Inverurie Retail Park on Oldmeldrum Road. However, in December 2024, Sainsbury’s unveiled revised plans to demolish the existing outdoor garden centre area and construct an extension to the main building. Floor plans indicate that this proposed new space is intended to accommodate an Argos outlet, which operates as part of the wider Sainsbury’s group.
Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire Council’s roads department lodged an objection to the expansion proposal, stipulating that a comprehensive traffic survey was required. The council’s concern centred on verifying the retail park’s current occupancy levels and assessing whether the 366 available parking bays would be sufficient for both the new Sainsbury’s store and existing businesses within the facility, such as Lidl, Currys, Home Bargains, and Iceland.
Furthermore, council officials sought assurances that the traffic-light-controlled junction providing access to the retail park could adequately manage an anticipated increase in visitor numbers.
In response to these concerns, Sainsbury’s commissioned and submitted the requested traffic survey. The supermarket asserted that the proposed extension, including the integration of Argos, would generate demand for only an additional eight parking spaces. The survey data indicated ample spare capacity within the retail park’s car park during peak times. Specifically, on a busy Friday lunchtime and Saturday afternoon, only 140 spaces were occupied, leaving 226 bays free. A Thursday lunchtime recorded even lower usage, with just 118 spaces taken, representing approximately 32% of the total capacity.
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Based on these findings and projected customer numbers, Sainsbury’s concluded that a “significant spare capacity” of 99 spaces would remain available. The study also revealed that the majority of customers typically visit the retail park for periods of up to an hour, suggesting a consistent turnover of parking spaces. An assessment of the retail park’s main junction further determined that it would “continue to operate within capacity with the proposed development.”
Supermarket chiefs maintained that the new store would not adversely affect the local road network. They stated: “The extension has been robustly assessed and can be accommodated on the local highway network without giving rise to unacceptable impacts. The anticipated parking demand is robust and the proposed level of parking provision would operate safely and practically with appropriate spare capacity.”
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