Retail giant set to win eight-year planning battle

Retail giant Next looks set to finally triumph in a eight-year planning battle in the south of Scotland.

It closed a town centre store in Dumfries in 2018 after the council refused an attempt to relax conditions in order to allow it to move to a retail park.

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

However, a fresh bid to allow it to open on the town's Cuckoo Bridge Retail Park is now being recommended for approval.