Britain's first underground grass-roofed supermarket is planned for Aberdeen's West End and if it wins approval it will pay for a new Health and Food Faculty for Robert Gordon University at Garthdee.
Planning applications for the #50m proposals have been submitted to Aberdeen City Council and they reveal that, as well as a Safeway supermarket, there will be around 26 houses and a five- acre nature trail on the existing university campus at Kepplestone on the corner of Queen's Road and Anderson Drive.
There were a number of potential developers keen to take over the Kepplestone site including other supermarkets, office developers and house builders but Safeway outbid them in its attempt to establish its second major store in Aberdeen.
The proposed store, which is expected to generate considerable opposition from local residents, is around the same size as their King Street one in the city but the unique underground concept with the landscaped roof, making it virtually invisible from Queen's Road, means it will be one of their most expensive developments.
The store would have parking for around 500 cars and Mr Bruce Lindsay, regional development controller of Safeway, said the company believed the development on the 20-acre site would not only allow the university to realise its dream of developing a new faculty at Garthdee, it would also provide a wealth of benefits for local people.
''The unique landscaped roof and nature trail are concepts which have been refined over the past few months to create an environmentally-friendly development which will be a significant improvement to the existing buildings on the site.
''In addition to the extensive environmental features this proposal will provide a major boost to the local economy and create around 300 jobs when it is open.''
He said Safeway believed there was a market for a major store in the West End of Aberdeen and the firm believed it could create a viable business from the prime site.
''We are conscious of the sensitivity of the site and the sensitivity of Aberdeen, and it is very important that people understand the lengths we have gone to to mitigate any potential criticism of the company for not taking care over the site they wish to develop. We are an environmentally friendly food-store operator.''
RGU assistant principal Mr Bill McIntosh said he believed it was one of the most exciting and imaginative proposals to come before Aberdeen planners for many years.
He added that the basis of the proposal was the desire to relocate the Faculty of Health and Food from Kepplestone and four other sites to one site at Garthdee. There are around 2000 students in the faculty.
''The Faculty of Health and Food covers industries which have been identified as growth areas for the North-east of Scotland. The food industry, tourism and health are very important to this area. For this reason it is a priority for us to provide the best possible facilities for teaching future staff in these industries,'' said Mr McIntosh.
''Working with Safeway we are quite sure we will be able to get enough funding in order to achieve our aspirations.
''It is a massive investment for the city of Aberdeen and an opportunity to assist in the development of the university.
''Here at Kepplestone we have the prospect of removing a series of unsightly 1960s buildings and replacing them with an eco-friendly store plus a nature walk and low density housing development.
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