Two rival petitions have been launched - one in support of a new Asda store for Stirling and one against.
In January Ramoyle Developments Ltd were granted permission for the new £20 million retail development at Crookbridge, south of the Wickes DIY store, including offices, retail, drive-thru restaurant, car showroom and car parking.
The developers said it would net 250 full-time equivalent jobs and potentially as many as 500-600 including construction jobs.
Stirling Council’s planning panel initially approved the planned retail park by four votes to two – contrary to the recommendation of the council’s planning officials.
However, the Scottish Government recently called in the planning application for review.
Scottish ministers, who are said to have called in the application as the proposal could have implications for retail policy across Scotland, will have the final say.
Opinions on the proposals on social media have been mixed - and now two online petitions have been launched with opposing views.
So far 49 people have signed a petition - https://www.change.org/p/build-asda-stirling - set up by local man Robert Johnstone demanding ministers “don’t mothball the new Asda development”.
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He said: “The people of stirling need more choice, more jobs and we are 100 percent committed to the approval of this development.
“The new Asda will not affect footfall in the town. The new Asda will have minimal impact on climate.
“It will provide Stirling with choice. It will provide jobs. It will help support all the new houses being built around Brucefields.
“Show your support for the project before they once again prevent something that the people of stirling want and need.”
Among those who signed the petition was Linda Grant, who said: “I have always wanted an Asda in Stirling. It won’t take business away from other places, short term as people try the new store maybe but not long term. People like what they like and shop where they prefer. It’s also a great way of producing more well needed job vacancies.”
Scottish Greens, however, have started their own petition - https://greens.scot/NoStirlingRetailPark - which so far has 65 signatures. They are asking people to add their names to their correspondence asking Minister for Planning Tom Arthur to reject the application.
They said: “At a time when Stirling Council should be building back better and greener, they [Stirling Council] have approved plans that will lock the community into car dependency, further damage the high street, and are completely at odds with our aspirations for 20-minute neighbourhoods.
“The result will be damaging for both people and planet. But we can still stop it.
“Right now, the minister for planning in the Scottish Government is reconsidering the planner’s application. He can overturn Stirling Council’s decision.
“This proposed retail park is further away from the heart of Stirling than any other previous development. It threatens to lock the local community into car dependency from the get-go, with the entire site designed for car users.”
They also raised concern about the impact on Stirling’s local businesses and city centre.
They added: “After surviving the challenges of the Covid pandemic, we should be doing all we can to restore the high street and support local producers, rather than diverting footfall to big business and out-of-town retail parks.”
When the application went before Stirling Council’s planning panel in January, council planners said not enough up-to-date information had been used to show there would not be a negative impact on the city centre. Seventeen objections were also lodged, including from Springkerse Retail Park II and the Thistles shopping centre.
Representatives for the applicants, however, had said up-to-date factors had been taken into account and there was no likely prospect of securing the long stipulated bulky goods retail on the site, which had been marketed unsuccessfully for more than a decade.
