Last checked: 9 July 2026
The Tesco, Aldi and M&S Stonehaven planning dispute centres on two separate supermarket proposals near Stonehaven and how Aberdeenshire Council should assess their impact.
Aldi and M&S are linked to the Ury Estate retail site, where planning permission for a supermarket already existed. Tesco, through a separate proposal at New Mains of Ury, is seeking to develop a larger supermarket-led scheme.
The dispute intensified after Tesco reportedly urged Aberdeenshire Council not to take a “light-touch” approach to the Aldi and M&S plans.
The issue extends beyond retailer competition and includes retail impact, town-centre footfall, planning policy, consumer choice, and whether Stonehaven can support multiple major food stores.
Key highlights:
- Tesco, Aldi and M&S are now part of a wider Stonehaven supermarket planning debate.
- Aldi and M&S are linked to the Ury Estate retail site.
- Tesco has a separate application at New Mains of Ury.
- The issue is mainly about planning scrutiny, retail impact and town-centre protection.
- Stonehaven residents have shown strong interest in more supermarket choice.
- Aberdeenshire Council, not Tesco or any rival retailer, makes the planning decision.
What Really Happened in the Tesco, Aldi and M&S Stonehaven Planning Dispute?
The Tesco, Aldi and M&S Stonehaven planning dispute began because two supermarket routes are moving around the same town.
One route is the Aldi and M&S proposal at Ury Estate. Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce reported that Ury Estate had reached an agreement with Marks & Spencer and Aldi to operate a retail unit, with both retailers expected to share a 3,750 sq m consented site, subject to updated permissions and legal agreements.
The second route is Tesco’s proposal at New Mains of Ury. Aberdeenshire Council’s official planning application record lists application APP/2026/0956 for a retail store, electric vehicle charging hub and Class 3 café/restaurant with associated parking, servicing, landscaping and access.
The dispute can be understood in three parts:
- Aldi and M&S want to progress the Ury Estate retail plan.
- Tesco wants its own New Mains of Ury proposal considered fairly.
- The planning authority must decide whether the combined retail impact is acceptable.
The core issue is therefore not simply “Tesco versus Aldi and M&S”. It is whether Stonehaven’s supermarket demand can be met without unacceptable harm to the existing town centre.
Why Did Tesco Challenge the Aldi and M&S Stonehaven Proposal?
Tesco’s reported concern is that the Aldi and M&S proposal should not receive a lighter level of planning scrutiny than other major food retail schemes. That matters because supermarket planning is not judged only by brand popularity.
Councils may need to assess:
- whether the site follows planning policy;
- whether there are town-centre or edge-of-centre alternatives;
- whether the development could divert spending from existing shops;
- whether the proposal would change local shopping patterns;
- whether cumulative retail impact would be acceptable.
From Tesco’s commercial position, the concern is clear. If Tesco’s own proposal faces detailed retail impact scrutiny, it may argue that the Aldi and M&S plan should also be tested closely.
From the council’s position, however, the decision must be based on planning evidence, not supermarket rivalry.
What Are Aldi and M&S Planning at Ury Estate?
Aldi and M&S are proposing new food stores at the Ury Estate development near Stonehaven, off the A957 Slug Road. Planning permission for a supermarket already exists at the site, and the latest proposal seeks approval for two separate stores instead of one.
The reported plans include an Aldi store (1,647 sq m), an M&S Food store (2,286 sq m), 373 parking spaces, a service yard, access roads, and landscaping. Developers have expressed confidence in the project, with Ury Estate Developments, M&S, and Aldi all supporting the proposal.
However, the development remains subject to planning approval and legal agreements, meaning the proposed 2027 opening should be viewed as a target rather than a confirmed date.
How Does Tesco’s New Mains of Ury Application Fit into the Row?
Tesco’s New Mains of Ury proposal is significant because it adds a second supermarket-led development to the Stonehaven planning debate.
While the Aldi and M&S proposal is linked to Ury Estate, Tesco’s application is for a separate site at New Mains of Ury. As both involve major food retail developments, Aberdeenshire Council is likely to consider not only each application individually but also their combined impact on Stonehaven town centre.
Tesco’s Revised Supermarket Proposal
Tesco’s latest Stonehaven proposal, application APP/2026/0956, includes a retail store, EV charging hub, Class 3 café/restaurant, parking, servicing, landscaping, and site access.
The proposal goes beyond a standard supermarket development by incorporating additional facilities that could influence traffic, customer visits, and the overall operation of the site.
Key Tesco Planning Details:
| Point | Detail |
| Retailer | Tesco |
| Site | New Mains of Ury, Stonehaven |
| Application reference | APP/2026/0956 |
| Main proposal | Retail store |
| Additional elements | EV charging hub and café/restaurant |
| Planning relevance | Adds to the wider supermarket capacity debate |
The proposal extends beyond a supermarket by including an EV charging hub, café/restaurant, parking, servicing, landscaping, and access, all of which could influence traffic, customer visits, and site activity.
Why Does the Earlier Refusal Still Matter?
Tesco’s earlier proposal is relevant because planning decisions often consider the cumulative impact of multiple developments. Local reports said the previous application was refused partly over concerns that additional food stores could affect Stonehaven town centre.
This planning history is important because it:
- Shows town-centre impact has already been a key planning issue.
- Explains why Tesco has called for detailed scrutiny of the Aldi and M&S proposal.
- Highlights that the dispute is about planning policy and retail impact, not just supermarket competition.
The key issue for planners is whether additional supermarket development will benefit local shoppers while protecting the long-term vitality of Stonehaven town centre.
Why Is Stonehaven Town Centre at the Heart of the Planning Argument?
Stonehaven town centre is central because Scottish planning policy gives strong weight to existing centres.
The Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4 says significant footfall-generating uses should be consistent with the town-centre-first approach. It also says out-of-centre proposals should not be supported unless centre and edge-of-centre options have been assessed and the impacts on existing centres have been thoroughly considered.
For Stonehaven, this creates a difficult balance.
On one side, more supermarket choice could reduce the need for residents to shop outside the town. On the other side, edge-of-town food retail could affect local traders if shoppers make fewer linked visits into the centre.
This is why retail impact assessment matters. It helps test whether new supermarket spending would be genuinely additional or mainly shifted away from existing shops.
What Do Local Residents and Community Survey Findings Show?
Local demand is a major part of the Stonehaven supermarket debate. Stonehaven & District Community Council published results from its Supermarket Survey in May 2026.
The survey recorded 955 responses. It found that 81.3% of respondents currently do their main food shop outside Stonehaven, while more than three-quarters supported an additional full-sized supermarket at New Mains of Ury if Aldi and M&S were approved at Ury Estate.
Survey signals for planners and businesses
- Many residents appear to want stronger local supermarket provision.
- A large share of respondents currently shop outside Stonehaven.
- The survey suggests demand for both Aldi/M&S and Tesco-type provision.
- Most respondents did not expect their town-centre visits to fall if all proposed retail units were built.
- A community survey is useful evidence, but it is not the same as a formal retail impact assessment.
The survey supports the argument that Stonehaven has unmet grocery demand. However, planning decisions still require policy-based assessment and evidence.
How Could the Competing Supermarket Plans Affect Stonehaven’s Retail Economy?
The competing Tesco, Aldi, and M&S proposals could have both positive and negative effects on Stonehaven’s retail economy.
For residents, the developments could provide greater choice, shorter travel distances, and more convenient grocery shopping. For local traders, they may raise concerns about reduced town-centre footfall and spending being diverted to edge-of-town retail sites.
Potential Benefits for Shoppers and Jobs
More supermarket provision could reduce the need for residents to travel outside Stonehaven for their weekly shopping.
Possible benefits include:
- Greater grocery choice.
- Increased price competition.
- Shorter shopping journeys.
- Potential job creation.
- More local spending retained in Stonehaven.
- Improved convenience for households near Ury Estate and New Mains of Ury.
These benefits are significant if more shopping spending remains within the local economy.
What Are the Risks for Local Traders?
The main concern is that new edge-of-town supermarkets could reduce visits to existing town-centre businesses.
Customers who currently combine grocery shopping with visits to cafés, pharmacies, and other local shops may instead complete their shopping at a single out-of-town location, reducing linked trips into the town centre.
Possible Local Retail Effects:
| Potential Benefit | Possible Concern |
| More supermarket choice | Pressure on existing food retailers |
| Less shopping leakage | Reduced town-centre footfall |
| Potential job creation | More car-based shopping trips |
| Increased competition | Spending diverted from local traders |
| Greater convenience | Fewer linked visits to nearby businesses |
New supermarkets would not automatically harm Stonehaven’s town centre, but the council will need evidence to determine whether the overall impact is acceptable.
Cumulative Impact and Spending Patterns
Cumulative impact is a key issue because planners must assess the combined effect of multiple supermarket proposals rather than considering each one in isolation.
The main planning questions include:
- Will the new stores retain spending currently leaving Stonehaven?
- Could they reduce spending at existing town-centre businesses?
- Will shoppers continue making linked trips into the town centre?
- Can local roads and access support the additional development?
- Do the benefits of greater consumer choice outweigh any impact on town-centre vitality?
The debate is therefore about planning policy, retail impact, and the future of Stonehaven’s retail economy, not simply competition between supermarket brands.
What Happens Next in the Aberdeenshire Planning Process?
The next stage depends on the council’s assessment of the applications, consultation responses, planning documents and any further evidence.
Aberdeenshire Council says its planning applications register is the quickest way to view applications, track progress and comment on applications.
What readers should watch next?
- New or updated retail impact documents.
- Comments from residents, traders and consultees.
- Planning officer reports.
- Possible committee dates.
- Any planning conditions or legal agreements.
- Approval, refusal, appeal or amended submissions.
A planning application is not the same as a store opening. Even if permission is granted, the project may still need legal agreements, construction work, commercial sign-off and operational planning.
What Should Businesses, Residents and Retail Watchers Take Away?
The main takeaway is that the Tesco, Aldi and M&S Stonehaven planning row is not only a local supermarket story. It is a case study in how UK retail expansion is shaped by planning policy, community demand and rival commercial interests.
For residents, the issue is about choice, convenience and whether Stonehaven should have stronger supermarket provision.
For local traders, the issue is whether new edge-of-town stores could reduce town-centre spending.
For national retail watchers, the dispute shows how supermarkets can compete not only through prices and locations, but also through planning objections, impact assessments and local consultation evidence.
The outcome remains with Aberdeenshire Council. Tesco can challenge. Aldi and M&S can promote. Residents can comment. But the council must decide according to planning policy and evidence.
Conclusion
The Tesco, Aldi and M&S Stonehaven planning dispute is not simply a supermarket rivalry. It is a wider test of retail demand, town-centre protection and planning scrutiny.
Aldi and M&S could bring more choice to Ury Estate, while Tesco’s New Mains of Ury proposal adds further complexity. The final outcome depends on Aberdeenshire Council’s assessment of evidence, policy and cumulative impact.
FAQs
Is Tesco trying to stop Aldi and M&S in Stonehaven?
Tesco has reportedly challenged how the Aldi and M&S proposal should be assessed. It is more accurate to call this a planning scrutiny dispute than a direct block, because Aberdeenshire Council makes the decision.
Are Aldi and M&S confirmed to open at Ury Estate?
No final opening should be treated as guaranteed. The retailers are linked to Ury Estate, but the plans remain subject to updated permissions, legal agreements and development progress.
Why does existing supermarket consent at Ury Estate matter?
Existing consent matters because it shows a supermarket use had already been accepted in principle. However, a changed format, two-store layout or increased floorspace may still need further assessment.
What is a retail impact assessment?
A retail impact assessment examines how a proposed retail development could affect existing shopping areas, spending patterns, jobs, accessibility and town-centre vitality.
Can Stonehaven residents decide the outcome through public support?
Public support can influence the debate, but it does not decide the application alone. The council must still apply planning policy and assess the evidence.
Why is cumulative impact important in this case?
Cumulative impact means the combined effect of more than one retail proposal. In Stonehaven, planners may need to consider how Aldi, M&S and Tesco schemes could affect the town centre together.
Could the planning dispute delay new supermarkets in Stonehaven?
Yes, it could. Objections, further evidence, committee scrutiny, legal agreements or appeals can extend the process. The final timing depends on how each application progresses.
Editorial Note
This article has been written in a professional, business-journalistic style and it avoids unsupported claims such as “Tesco blocked Aldi and M&S”. The available evidence supports a more careful position: Tesco has reportedly challenged the level of planning scrutiny, while Aberdeenshire Council remains responsible for the final decision.
No invented spokesperson quotes have been used. Direct quotes are included only where they were available from sourced reporting.
How We Checked?
This article was checked on 9 July 2026 against Aberdeenshire Council planning information, Scottish Government planning policy, Stonehaven & District Community Council survey material, Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce reporting, The Bellman’s local planning coverage and accessible reporting from the user-supplied reference sites.
The Press and Journal page was partially accessible through search snippets during checking, so only the visible reported wording about Tesco urging the council not to take a “light-touch” approach has been used.
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