CONDITIONS were yesterday lifted on a shop unit in Dumfries, opening the door for Next to return to the town.
Councillors unanimously agreed to change the status for unit four at the Cuckoo Bridge retail park so that fashion can be sold there.
And it’s now expected that Next will do a deal to open a new store there, in the former carpet warehouse.
The High Street chain have been fighting for eight years for the change.
Their bid was initially refused by the council in 2018 and an appeal to the Scottish Government was also turned down, both on the grounds that allowing clothing sales on the park could damage the vitality of Dumfries town centre.
However, officials and elected members this week acknowledged that the retail sector, and town centres, have changed dramatically since then.
And they agreed that allowing the move now would just have a ‘negligible’ impact on the town centre, and would actually be a positive move for Dumfries overall, potentially bringing in more shoppers and other brands.
Presenting the application to the planning committee, planner Graham Smith said: “Traditionally this park was known for bulky goods retailing. Now we see a mixture of different operators including gyms, bargain operators, food warehouses.
“The committee may ask what’s changed which would allow officers to give a favourable recommendation: clearly the retail sector has undergone considerable upheaval.”
He said the local authority’s policy will continue to promote town centres, adding: “This does not mean a blanket lifting of the bulky good restriction would be appropriate. Each application will be assessed on own merits.
“This has not been a contentious planning application. We agree there will not be any material impact on town centre.”
There was no resistance from councillors, with Mid and Upper Nithsdale’s Tony Berretti giving his support and saying: “I will go with it as none of us here can know what in 10-15 years the retail trade could look like.”
