Big stores eyeing up Portobello gap site

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a supermarket in Portobello are set to be revived - as it emerged that firms are eyeing sites across the Capital for new "department store-style" superstores.

New plans are being drawn up for the eight-acre gap site off Portobello High Street which include a smaller food store such as M&S' Simply Food, Waitrose, Lidl or Aldi.

But the "big four" supermarket names are also circling the city looking for new sites for so-called "super superstores" that sell everything from TVs and computers to garden furniture and homewares.

And there remains "strong interest" from them in the Portobello site - as well as sites in Leith and Longstone.

Previous plans for a supermarket on the site were lodged in 2003 and angered residents and businesses. They were rejected following a Scottish Government public inquiry.

BL Developments, which had 100 million plans for 700 homes, health facilities and community space on the site rejected by planners earlier this year, said that if its new plans for the former Scottish Power headquarters are not approved by planners, the "plan B" is to sell the site to a supermarket developer.

Philip Myerscough, the Edinburgh-based developer's managing director, said a public consultation on new plans that include the food store, business space and homes will begin next week. But he said that firms still want the site to build a supermarket.

He said: "The interest is there and the interest is strong but we know the community will not support that. We want to work with the community and the council.

"But if, at the end of the day, we put forward new proposals and they are turned down, we know that in the background there is that interest for a pure supermarket food store." Retail experts say that the major supermarket chains are on the hunt for giant sites in Edinburgh.

Tom Johnston, head of retail in Scotland at property firm Colliers International, said: "The big four are looking more and more at selling a lot of other items other than food and become in effect the modern day department store. In some of their shops, the food is almost tucked away at the back."

Tim Appleton, a director of property agent Appleton Craig, said: "With the larger operators - Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's - if they can get larger representations they will go for it.

"They want more of these 'super superstores'"

A public consultation event on BL Developments' plans is set to take place in Portobello Town Hall from 2pm until 8pm on July 16.