Supermarket giant Tesco has submitted another application for a massive development in Glasgow in anticipation of its retail village proposal being rejected.
The fall-back bid is for a stand-alone store, smaller than the current one pending application and abandoning the 1200-plus homes.
Although Tesco insists it is proceeding with its contentious scheme for the site in Partick, in Glasgow's west end, it believes having another pending application could prevent lengthy delays if Plan A is rejected.
But campaigners claim the substitute proposal does little to allay their concerns over the impact of a huge supermarket within the area.
It has also been claimed that having a fall-back is a poor reflection on Tesco's confidence in its own scheme and suggests it will not appeal if the application fails.
Tesco's new bid for the former scrapyard in Beith Street beside the River Kelvin is markedly smaller than the larger application, with a groundspace of 6500 sq metres, compared with 7500 sq metres.
The firm's preferred "Tesco Town" bid also includes 925 student flats and 300 private apartments, both absent from the substitute.
But this is not the first time Tesco has revised its plans for Partick.
The initial plans for Partick were for six blocks of seven storeys, housing 1300 student flats and 300 private homes for sale, and one of the biggest supermarkets in Glasgow covering 7435 sq metres with 600 car parking spaces. Aileen Colleran, councillor for Partick and Glasgow City Council's business manager, is a long-standing opponent of the scheme.
She said: "This has never been about the politics of retail.
"It's about the environmental impact of a development of this scale on Partick, especially in terms of traffic."
Others also claim the smaller store would still be massive and would impact on small retail outlets in the west end.
Nick Gellatly, Tesco corporate affairs manager, yesterday confirmed the additional application, claiming it would prevent delays if the first was unsuccessful.
He said: "This provides us with an alternative.
"This is a good way of ensuring any delay is limited."
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