ALDI’S bid to grab some of the £33 million spent by supermarket shoppers in Dalgety Bay every year may be turned down.

The company hope to open a store on the edge of the town as part of a £4m development that also includes a pub / restaurant and ‘drive thru’ coffee shop.

Aldi is hoping to get a slice of the market dominated by Tesco and Asda, their annual turnover for their stores in the town is put at £13m and £20m respectively.

But a decision has been delayed amid fears the development would almost create a “second town centre” that would compete and draw customers away from the existing shops. Independent planning consultant Maria Francke, commissioned by Fife Council, said, “A new Aldi would directly challenge the role of the Tesco Metro, which is the main anchor in the town centre. There would be more Class 1 retail floorspace outwith the town centre than is in it.” She added “this is likely to result in further trade diversion away from the existing town centre”.

The developers are the Scarborough Muir Group who said the plans for their site in Donibristle Industrial Estate are supported by locals and will create up to 100 jobs.

As well as the Aldi store, Marston’s Inn pub / restaurant and coffee shop, they also want to build brand new premises for two existing tenants, the Play Planet and York EMC Services.

If plans are approved, they’ll demolish the current buildings and create 238 car parking spaces.

Dalgety Bay Community Council have voiced concern and although the west planning committee is set to discuss the application, possibly on 29th October, the final decision will be taken by the full Fife Council. This is because the proposals are “significantly contrary to the development plan” and such stores outwith town centres will only be supported “in certain circumstances”.

Council policy states the developer must prove “there is no detrimental effect on the vitality and viability of the town centre”. In her report, Ms Francke said, “The shift of major retail store provision away from the core town centre in Dalgety Bay into the industrial area is of concern.

“The combination of Asda and a new Aldi in this out of centre location would create a significant additional focus for food shopping, which would compete with Dalgety Bay town centre.” The Tesco Metro is in the centre of Dalgety Bay while Asda – who have objected to the plans – opened their supermarket in 2008 at Fulmar Way, across the road from the proposed site.

As well as the turnover figures for the big two, the Fife Retail Capacity Study says RS McColl’s in Dalgety Bay has an estimated turnover of around £300,000 a year and “local shops” in Inverkeithing have a combined turnover of £2.1m.

Ms Francke said that, given the proximity of Inverkeithing to the proposed site, the loss of trade to Aldi “could well threaten the viability of some of the smaller shops and reduce the vitality of this town centre”. SMG have owned the 2.13 hectare site at Ridge Way since 2007 and their planning agents say the 1950s buildings are in “very poor condition” while the brownfield site is derelict and costly to remediate.

John Handley Associates also say the leases of both Play Planet and York EMC run out next year and both could leave the town, with the loss of more than 40 jobs, if the plans were not approved and refusal would effectively scupper around 100 new and existing jobs.

Their statement said it was “clear that choice and quality is currently limited” in Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing and that while a new Aldi would draw shoppers away from Asda, the effect on the Tesco Metro would be much less as it did not offer “a similar style of shopping experience”.

They also added there was public support for the plans, as well as backing from BAE Systems and Fife Chamber of Commerce.