SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons has warned it will not be ready to start building a new store in Wallingford until 2017 or 2018 at the earliest.

South Oxfordshire District Council agreed in July 2013 that the 30,000 sq ft store could open on the Hithercroft estate, creating 300 jobs.

But district councillor John Cotton, who is now council leader and cabinet member for Wallingford, proposed a condition which the chain contested.

The condition required the building to have an “excellent” Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating.

But Morrisons argued its planning application was made before the council agreed to make the request.

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In January Morrisons appealed against the condition as well as a restriction on operating hours, and a stipulation regarding the proportion of non-food goods that could be sold.

But the appeal was withdrawn, and following a meeting with planners, Morrisons now said it would not start building a new store until 2017 or 2018.

Mr Cotton said: “Morrisons representatives came in last month (March).

“They said they were still committed to the scheme but did not expect work to start on the building until 2017/2018 at the earliest although but they did not specify why.

“It is perplexing. Undoubtedly there are many people in Wallingford who will be disappointed and several people have had conversations with me to express their disappointment."

Mr Cotton said SODC planners have now been told by Morrisons it intended to submit three new planning applications to modify the contested conditions but so far these have not been submitted.

No-one from Morrisons was available for comment.