Poundstretcher’s second bid for Glenrothes retail park move blocked by council
Poundstretchers’ plans for a Glenrothes move have been blocked yet again.
The retail giant wanted to move from its current address in Saltire Retail Park into two units which were once home to a trampoline business.
However, the proposals from Sackville UK Property Select III, Poundstretcher’s parent company, have now been rejected by Fife Council for a second time.
When the plans were first put forward two years ago, Xtreme Trampoline Park tenants was caught off guard, and said it was “devastated” at losing its base.
The business closed but has now preparing to reopen in the Kingdom Centre this year. In the meantime, Sackville UK Property Select III has submitted two planning applications for the 18,000 square foot leisure unit with the hope of opening The Range into the empty Glenrothes Poundstretcher site.
However, the council rejected the plans for a second time this week in the interests of “safeguarding the vitality of Glenrothes town centre as a place to shop and enjoy”, and of “avoiding development in a location which would increase reliance on the private cars”.
Planners said the application went against local planning policy both “in its own right and cumulatively” with other existing convenience and retailers. The rejection letter stated that allowing the proposals to move forward would “significantly erode the intended focus of the retail park”.
The retail giant tried to battle those arguments in its second application, and argued that the proposals were “unlikely to be a material threat to the vitality and viability of Glenrothes town centre”.
It also claimed that there were no suitable town centre sites available, and argued that it already operates from the Saltire Centre and merely wanted to move to a bigger space.