Two major Dumfries retail landlords have joined the Retailers Association to urge planners to prioritise the town centre retail zone, or risk irreversibly damaging its future viability.

Edinburgh House Estates, which represent the owners of the Loreburne Shopping Centre, and Wirefox, owners of the Southergate Centre, are urging Dumfries & Galloway Council to collaborate with retailers and prevent the local economy suffering an irreversible economic downturn.

This comes as the local authority considers a proposal by NewRiver REIT (UK) to try and relocate a Next retail store to a new site outwith the town centre, which the landlords feel places the high street under a major threat.

Both landlords have already committed to investment in their centres to keep pace with changing consumer habits. However, they have stressed that robust local policy, in line with the National Planning Policy, is also needed to ensure Dumfries town centre remains a vibrant and quality retail destination for the local community.

Ross Campbell, senior asset manager at Edinburgh House Estates, on behalf of owners Loreburn SC Propco B.V., said: “Without doubt the retail landscape has changed and remains challenging particularly in town centres including Dumfries and we have to ensure that we are continually looking at ways to retain the attractiveness of the town centre which is vital to the local community, and economy, for many reasons.

“The town centre is currently protected from the serious threat of out of town retail by the existing planning polices – NewRiver’s planning application seeks to remove these protections and allow the retail parks to directly compete with the town centre for both the tenants and trade which has decimated other Scottish towns.

“Next is adopting a UK wide policy of relocating out of town and there are many examples elsewhere in Scotland when a prime retailer moves out of the town centre it becomes a far harder job to find replacement retailers for vacant shops and attract new, quality retailers.

“The council has been very supportive and we would hope that they continue to implement Scottish policy to favour town centre development over out of town.”

Loreburne Shopping Centre employs 245 local people and generates between £165,000 and £250,000 of support to local businesses annually through its supply chain network.

The Southergate Centre is located on a 2.5 acre town centre site which currently includes a parade of 14 national retailers fronting High Street, future development lands off Shakespeare Street and a public car park comprising c.185 spaces.

Anton Dummigan, asset manager at Wirefox, added: “The future economic prosperity of Dumfries town centre is under severe threat and must be safeguarded by the council.

“The loss of a major retailer such as Next could herald a mass exodus of larger operators from the town centre, leading to the loss of hundreds of jobs and sounding the death knell for the local economy.

“An approval of the planning application would represent a major reversal in planning strategy and the damaging impacts could be irreversible.

“Wirefox has long-term investment plans for the Southergate Centre which will significantly enhance the town centre’s retail offering, but these may not be viable if the vitality of Dumfries town centre is not protected.”

The sentiment was shared by Rab Smith, chairman of Dumfries Retailers Association, who said: “The Scottish Retail Consortium recently reported a drop in high street footfall by 0.4% in July compared with last year, with many towns reporting vacant retail outlets. It’s very concerning and we have to work in partnership to generate new initiatives to encourage footfall and ensure Dumfries town centre bucks the trend and doesn’t end up a ghost town.”