How Next won its fight to open an out-of-town store in Dumfries

The shopping habits of the south of Scotland town of Dumfries have changed significantly down the decades.

Back in the 1980s, it was a big deal when clothing giant Next first opened a store on the High Street.

The retailer then moved to the nearby Loreburne Shopping Centre - but as the years passed it argued that the town centre was no longer a suitable location and tried to switch to a new location out of town.

Next closed its Dumfries store after those plans were blocked - but now, seven years later, it has finally been given permission to open a store in the Cuckoo Bridge Retail Park.

The heart of Dumfries would still be largely identifiable to any of its inhabitants of yesteryear.

The Midsteeple has towered over the town since the early 18th Century while a statue of Robert Burns and a historic fountain sit at opposite ends of the High Street.

Its retail offering, though, has changed significantly since pedestrianisation in the late 1980s.

For many years Next thrived in Dumfries, with a site on the High Street and then in a town centre shopping complex.

By 2017, though, it had been arguing for some time that shopping demand had changed and it needed to move.

It said turnover had fallen by 40% since it opened in the Loreburne Centre and the site no longer suited a business model which had branched out from mainly fashion to include home goods.

Traders in Dumfries at the time were worried it would start a "mass exodus" and the council vetoed the plans.

The case went as far as the Court of Session and was twice rejected by the Scottish government's planning and environmental appeals division.

Next closed its doors in February 2018 with the loss of 25 jobs but always kept an eye on a potential return to Dumfries.

A fresh application to lift planning conditions at the retail park in order to allow Next to open in a vacant unit came forward last year.

Dumfries and Galloway Council had previously rejected those proposals, saying the company had not proved there was no viable alternative in the town centre.

Planning conditions at Cuckoo Bridge restricted units to the sale of bulky goods like DIY, hardware and furniture and excluded the likes of clothing, footwear or toys.

This was to exercise "proper control" over the development and avoid it "evolving" into something which could harm Dumfries town centre.

However, council officers concluded that this time around "suitable justification" had been given to drop the restrictions.

"The supporting information suggests that there are no appropriate sequentially preferable sites in the town centre and that any retail impact on the town centre would be negligible," it said.

And so, at a planning meeting on Wednesday, the local authority approved a change of conditions which would allow Next to return.

The company said it welcomed the chance to open once more in a town where it last had a store some seven years ago.

"Next are delighted to get planning," said a statement.

"We are grateful for the help from Dumfries and Galloway Council in getting to this stage and look forward to reopening a brand new store in Dumfries for our customers."

Richie Nicoll, who chairs the Dumfries Town Board which is looking at ways to revive the town centre, said he was "thrilled" by the decision - despite the out of town location.

"While we would have welcomed their return to the heart of the town centre, it's fantastic to see a retailer of their calibre investing in our area once again - especially with the recent job losses at Homebase," he said.

"The presence of Next will undoubtedly draw people back to shop locally, and hopefully also encourage other businesses to invest in the town.

"Our focus now is on encouraging those visitors to explore and enjoy all that our town centre has to offer.

"It's another positive step forward for Dumfries."