Local residents, community councils, and MSPs are to support the plans submitted jointly by the supermarket chain and Elphinstone Land.

Lisa Rooke, property communications manager for the supermarket was pleased with support ahead of the inquiry on 20th October.

"I am delighted to see such wide endorsement from across the Inverness community," she said. "We have had excellent feedback from the public through our consultation with the Inverness community and from local politicians.

"We look forward to the inquiry and strongly believe that a positive outcome will enable us to provide much needed supermarket choice in Inverness."

Fergus Ewing, SNP MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, said he had been contacted by many constituents regarding the proposed store — the majority of which he said were in support.

"Many constituents feel that the dominance of Tesco in Inverness has led to a lack of competition," he said. "This has in particular led to residents in Inverness being charged more for their petrol in Inverness, than for example, in Elgin. The presence of an Asda store should provide more competition in petrol sales.

"Given the substantial support of my constituents, and indeed, community council representatives, I as their constituency MSP was pleased to write in support of the application and for the store to proceed."

Mary Scanlon, Conservative MSP for the Highlands, believed that the new store would bring much needed competition and choice to shoppers in Inverness.

"Many of my constituents have expressed their desperate desire for this development to go ahead so that they can have access to the choice and lower prices, particularly for petrol, which shoppers in many other towns and cities across Scotland already enjoy," she said.

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands, predicted it could also affect food prices.

"As well as giving shoppers more choice it can have a beneficial effect on prices. This was recently demonstrated with petrol prices when Inverness, where there is currently no real competition, lost out in comparison with Elgin where there is.

"In general I am concerned about the slow progress of planning in Scotland despite the fact that Ministers are pressing hard to change the system. I look forward to seeing real progress on this front."

Helen Neville, a local resident giving evidence at the inquiry, commented: "As a member of the public and a working mother, I want to have a wider choice about where I shop than is available currently to Highland shoppers. I support this application and believe that Asda will bring more competition and will enable customers from the Highlands to enjoy more freedom of choice and lower prices than is currently available.

"The Asda store will provide good value and a wider variety of choices to people, coupled with lower prices which all shoppers need now more than ever. I believe this proposal is positive for the whole community."

Bob Roberts, chairman of the Inverness South Community Council, where the new store would be, will also be giving evidence.

"All of the people I have spoken to within the Inverness South Community Council area are in favour of this development, a view expressed at several meetings of the Community Council and in general discussion with members of the public," he said.

Pat Hayden, chairwoman of the Inverness Area Forum of Community Councils, added: "Residents of Inverness and the surrounding area deserve a choice of supermarkets so I join them in supporting Asda’s application. It is vital that the wishes of the local population are taken into consideration when this application is being considered."

andrew.dixon@inverness-courier.co.uk 

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