TESCO have finally received permission from Fife Council for a ‘dot com’ extension to their store in Duloch.

And they’ll now erect a building at the south side of their supermarket to process and deliver internet shopping orders.

Tesco first applied to extend the Turnstone Road store in 2005 when it was the “busiest for home shopping in the whole of Scotland”. Plans were approved at the west planning committee last week despite 11 objections and concerns about the impact on nearby residential properties.

The supermarket giant said changes in the way people shop had promoted the move and explained, “This development reflects the need to extend and reorganise the manner in which Tesco operate their dot com facility to meet the changing way that customers are buying their goods.

“It is anticipated that the new dot com facility will encourage existing customers to reduce the numbers of individual journeys taken to the existing store, resulting in a reduction in traffic volumes on the surrounding areas.” The new facility in the car park will have canopies for vans to be loaded with goods, as well as for ‘click and collect’ customers to pick up their groceries.

There will be 15 vans in total and operating hours will be 7am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm on Sunday.

The extension will have a “footprint area of 343 square metres”.

Suzi Roslender, of Tarmachan Close, had objected and said, “My home is extremely close to this site and I am concerned about the engine noise as well as the noise of crates being loaded on and off these vans. “I am concerned that this level of noise will be constant as the vans come back and forth to reload.

“These vans have an audible beep as they reverse which only adds to the problem.

“The plans also show a large security gate that I am assuming will also have an audible warning beep when it is opening and closing which will only further add to the disruption.

“The disturbance will continue until late in the evening as Tesco deliver up until 11pm.

“I find this unacceptable so close to private residences.” Other concerns from residents included light pollution and fuel emissions from the vans.

A previous application for a dot com extension was refused by the council in January 2007 as the floorspace would have exceeded 6000 sq ft – the maximum allowed for a superstore on the site.

A second bid to extend the store was knocked back later that year but the retail giant appealed successfully to the Scottish Government.

At the time, a Tesco spokesman said their Duloch store was the “busiest for home shopping in the whole of Scotland and we suffer real congestion there”.

He had added, “The eastern expansion of Dunfermline is probably the principal reason for it. There are lots of people there who are shopping from home.”