Tesco dancing on Asda's grave at the Mart in Thurso?

[Kodiak]

Thurso site was bought earlier this year as part of a package of vacant Tesco-owned sites - as always we'll just have to wait & see what happens next...

As always we will have a Long, Long, Long Wait before we get any news at all,

[crayola]

I'm a little behind with the news due to a long deep space mission flying amongst the rings of Uranus and mapping them for posterity. Meanwhile the Groat published this little gem.

ONE of Tesco’s exit strategies from its abortive plans to develop a new superstore in Thurso was to sell a pile of girders to Highland Council.

The £40,000 deal was done in 2010 for the steelwork which was earmarked for use on their development at the former auction mart site in the town.

Are we to understand that Tesco sold girders it had bought to use to build on the mart to the council 5 long years ago? Yet for much of that time they were telling us that construction would start soon? Have the council been dancing in secret on Tesco's grave for 5 years?

[little miss breezy breeks]

I'm a little behind with the news due to a long deep space mission flying amongst the rings of Uranus and mapping them for posterity. Meanwhile the Groat published this little gem.
Are we to understand that Tesco sold girders it had bought to use to build on the mart to the council 5 long years ago? Yet for much of that time they were telling us that construction would start soon? Have the council been dancing in secret on Tesco's grave for 5 years?

Wasn't the girders the old frame from the old auction mart, Which the council bought to erect up at janetstown to use as a salt store only to find it was to small

[rogermellie]

Wasn't the girders the old frame from the old auction mart, Which the council bought to erect up at janetstown to use as a salt store only to find it was to small

how could it have been too small ?

salts tiny

[little miss breezy breeks]

how could it have been too small ?

salts tiny

The salt may be tiny, But the lorrys the salt needs to put in aren't? The mart structure wasn't that tall, Didn't need to be.

[wavy davy]

I'm a little behind with the news due to a long deep space mission flying amongst the rings of Uranus and mapping them for posterity. Meanwhile the Groat published this little gem.
Are we to understand that Tesco sold girders it had bought to use to build on the mart to the council 5 long years ago? Yet for much of that time they were telling us that construction would start soon? Have the council been dancing in secret on Tesco's grave for 5 years?

Well said Crayola. I read about it and didn't take it in.

Now, did the Council approach Tesco to buy the steel (unlikely?) or the other way round (more likely?). If the latter, I'd love to know how the initial conversation went.

Contributions, factual or otherwise, welcomed.

[crayola]

My reading of the Groat article is that in 2010 Tesco sold girders originally intended for the new build at the mart. Is that wrong? Or were these girders from the old mart buildings that were never intended for the new build? Someone must know for sure.

Anyways......... What will become of the mart site now? My guess is that it will lie derelict for another five years and we will all continue to moan and blame Tesco and Highland Council and the current new owners and whoever they may sell the site on to. I am not optimistic.

Here is the link btw http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...to-council.htm

[crayola]

Are Tesco still planning to sell their existing Thurso store at Millbank? The For Sale advertisement is still on the internet.

http://www.eyco.co.uk/cog-media/prop...brochure_2.pdf

Could Thurso end up with no Tesco at all as the result of the mart fiasco? Or is the advertisement a legacy that no-one got around to removing?

And are Asda still out of the game completely? Or is Raymond still hoping to entice them into his back yard?

[Alrock]

Are Tesco still planning to sell their existing Thurso store at Millbank? The For Sale advertisement is still on the internet.

http://www.eyco.co.uk/cog-media/prop...brochure_2.pdf

Could Thurso end up with no Tesco at all as the result of the mart fiasco? Or is the advertisement a legacy that no-one got around to removing?

And are Asda still out of the game completely? Or is Raymond still hoping to entice them into his back yard?

Give them a call, request a viewing, see what they say.

[Aaldtimer]

Something happening at last? :- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...lands-35133032

[rob murray]

Sounds like good news / jobs : London & Scottish Investments Ltd (LSI), a Glasgow-based investment, development, and property asset management company, has today announced a deal to purchase a package of 14 vacant sites from Tesco. The sites are located across Scotland and will be developed by LSI for a mix of retail and residential uses.
The sites are located in East Kilbride, Paisley (Renfrew Road and Love Street), Crieff, Aviemore, Cupar, Cowdenbeath, Thurso, Dundee, Kilmarnock, Larkhall, Coatbridge, Dalkeith, and Glasgow. They had previously been acquired by Tesco for potential store development which has not progressed as planned.
Bryan Wilson, Group Development Director at London & Scottish Investments said: “We are delighted to announce this purchase, which is fantastic news for the towns involved. We now look forward to meeting with council leaders and planning officers from all the local authorities involved, to discuss and review our plans for the economic redevelopment of these sites. We have had discussions with a range of potential tenants that wish to occupy the proposed new developments, and we would expect that a significant number of jobs will be created as a result.”

[crayola]

Something happening at last? :- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...lands-35133032

Well spotted Aaldtimer.

They're planning similar things in Fife:

Plans submitted for two new shopping centres in Fife

A property developer has submitted plans for new shopping centres at two sites vacated by Tesco in Fife.

Glasgow-based London and Scottish Investments (LSI) wants to build food and non-food units at South Road, Cupar, and High Street, Cowdenbeath.

The vacant sites were acquired by LSI from Tesco in August, after the supermarket giant dropped plans for new stores.

LSI said it expected the developments to create hundreds of new jobs.

The new Cupar development will comprise five retail units totalling 41,500 sq ft.

The Cowdenbeath proposals involve two units totalling 48,000 sq ft.

LSI group development director Bryan Wilson said: "The economic redevelopment of these vacant sites will be fantastic news for Fife as we expect hundreds of new jobs to be created as a result.

"We are now in advanced discussions with a number of food and non-food retailers to occupy these developments and hope to be able to announce these in the near future.

"Subject to receiving all necessary consents, we intend to start construction work on site immediately".

This is according to the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...iness-35131379

I wonder who will get the planned food retail outlets. Could we see Asda dancing on Tesco's grave at the mart in Thurso?

[Stack Rock]

The planning application details including drawings are on the Council website.

15/04656/FUL | Erection of Class 1 retail stores and garden centre with ancillary access, car parking, servicing and associated works including retention, with new car parking area for Thurso station | Thurso Auction Mart Ormlie Road Thurso

[crayola]

Thanks Mr Rock.

I read the proposal and looked at the plans on the Highland Council website. It all looks sensible to me. It doesn't mention any supermarket by name. So could it be Asda or could it be some other supermarket coming in through the back door? Surely not Tesco!

Could this be the real thing for Thurso at long last?

[bekisman]

Being in sackcloth and ashes for a few years - after being promised (April 2008) in a phone call and emails from Doug Wilson, Corporate Affairs Manager, Scotland and Northern Ireland (Tesco) that Tesco WAS building there, it all went pear-shaped by financial restrictions, and restructuring within the group.. which is all history..
I've just noticed that Doug has left Tesco and is now Head of Property Communications at ASDA wonder if he will be the sacrificial lame on any ASDA dealings?

Anyway looks like AT LAST 'something' is being built there which is good, and wonder if any Hotel will ever be built at Pennyland?

[NB Taken advice and inbox emptied!]

[Fran]

I hope it will be asda, natal an and farm foods

[crayola]

Good grief Fran! This is not the time to expose such a dismal proletarian failure of aspiration on the good people of my home town! This is an opportunity for the people of Thurso to grasp the nettle and to aspire to acquire retail facilities that have up until now only appeared in their most prurient dreams. Come now all ye faithful,come together and rise above the dismal expectation of the most pessimistic of Winston Smith's fellow proles in their pursuit of natal an's Mao-era style and quality and Farm Food's suffocatingly tasteless copies of cardboard flavoured Apollo-era frozen rations. Fire up your broomsticks and rekindle the ambition and expectation of the Thurso of our common hyperborean forebears of half a century ago. Thurso, you are better than this! We are all better than this. Stand up and fight for a better retail future.

Oh my Thurso people. One and all.

Just do it!

Now! One and all of you!

[rogermellie]

Good grief Fran! This is not the time to expose such a dismal proletarian failure of aspiration on the good people of my home town! This is an opportunity for the people of Thurso to grasp the nettle and to aspire to acquire retail facilities that have up until now only appeared in their most prurient dreams. Come now all ye faithful,come together and rise above the dismal expectation of the most pessimistic of Winston Smith's fellow proles in their pursuit of natal an's Mao-era style and quality and Farm Food's suffocatingly tasteless copies of cardboard flavoured Apollo-era frozen rations. Fire up your broomsticks and rekindle the ambition and expectation of the Thurso of our common hyperborean forebears of half a century ago. Thurso, you are better than this! We are all better than this. Stand up and fight for a better retail future.

Oh my Thurso people. One and all.

Just do it!

Now! One and all of you!

couldn't agree more, however, Fran's from Wick

[Scunner]

Looking forward to something new.

[bekisman]

I know stack rock above mentioned it, but here's links:
https://www.tellmescotland.gov.uk/no...g/00000115614/


http://wam.highland.gov.uk/wam/simpl...tion=firstPage





15/04656/FUL | Erection of Class 1 retail stores and garden centre with ancillary access, car parking, servicing and associated works including retention, with new car parking area for Thurso station | Thurso Auction Mart Ormlie Road Thurso