CONCERN over the impact of an Aldi supermarket on local businesses was expressed at last week’s Dunoon Community Council (DCC) meeting, as opposing views were aired.
As part of DCC’s meeting, the topic of Aldi’s recent public consultation in the Queen’s Hall, where the discount supermarket presented their plans for their proposed store on Hamilton Street, was discussed.
The event was an opportunity for locals to ask questions and view details of the new supermarket plans and close to 300 people were in attendance, the overwhelming majority of which expressed their support for the development.
During DCC’s meeting, community councillor David Clough explained that he had spoken directly to Aldi’s estate director during the event.
He said: My concern is people who perhaps use Morrisons as their main shop, park the car and then walk into Argyll Street to do some ad hoc shopping. And if we end up with an Aldi, then it’s further away from the town centre. And I was concerned that people would park the car, finish their shop and then go straight home again and wouldn’t actually potentially walk down Argyll Street because it’s 300 metres away.
He (Aldi estates director) did say to me that as far as he was concerned, he’s never known an Aldi store to open anywhere and then another supermarket has been forced to close. I think the question about whether or not it would have an impact on the high street is a question for colleagues and I’d like to know what Dunoon Presents’ view is on the new Aldi.
Attending the community council meeting remotely was Dunoon Presents BID manager Colin Moulson, who explained that he thought the plan to build an Aldi supermarket in Dunoon was a fantastic idea.
Mr Moulson said: I think there’s absolutely nothing, as in zero, to be concerned about. Any operational issues that might arise are things which can be worked through, I think it’s absolutely fantastic. So I see nothing negative in it whatsoever.
To which community councillor Clough asked if that was the official view of businesses in Dunoon and asked if Dunoon Presents had consulted with them.
Mr Moulson confirmed that as a body Dunoon Presents had not consulted with local businesses over the Aldi supermarket proposal.
Argyll and Bute Dunoon ward councillors Ross Moreland (LibDem) and Audrey Forrest (SNP), who were present, then expressed their opinions on the matter.
Councillor Moreland explained he understood concerns for local businesses but thought the proposal was a positive one.
He said: Any sort of loss would probably be offset or even increased by the fact that people are going over the water to spend their money there on what my parents used to call the big shop. And if you’re keeping that money in the town it can only be a good thing. There is clearly a massive appetite for Aldi and we’ve seen that in their consultation. For the time I’ve been a councillor this is the only thing I think I haven’t been bombarded with negative emails about.
Ann Murphy, a member of the public who was in attendance, asked permission to express her opinion and she explained that an Aldi supermarket in the town would be a negative development.
Ann said: My father and all his family were greengrocers in the past and when the big store comes in the little man dies. People only have so much money in their pockets. So I don’t know what Dunoon will get out of Aldi and Aldi will get nothing out of Dunoon either and they’ll back off very soon.
Dunoon ward councillor Audrey Forrest explained that the issue of another supermarket for Dunoon is long-running but neither she nor councillor Moreland have received or have heard of any negative responses to the proposed development.
