THE search for a second supermarket in Wallingford needs to be renewed as developers plan about 1,000 new homes for the area, according to a leading councillor.

 

Oxfordshire county councillor Lynda Atkins said residents in the town were still asking her when a second supermarket would be built.

 

Hopes were high there would be a rival to Waitrose in St Martin’s Street when Morrisons was given planning permission in 2013 to build a new store on the Hithercroft industrial estate.

 

But councillors agreed a condition determining the store should be built to a high design standard and the chain did not go ahead with the proposal.

 

Ms Atkins said: "It’s one of the perennial questions – people often ask me when the town will get a second supermarket.

 

"A new planning application hasn't come forward yet but with more than 500 homes planned for Slade End Farm and another 500 homes planned for Winterbrook the town is soon going to need another supermarket."

 

Ms Atkins, a former town councillor, said Wallingford was losing millions of pounds a year in revenue because some shoppers head out of town for their weekly shop at the Tesco superstore in Didcot.

 

She added: "Morrisons decided it was not going to come to Wallingford a while ago so we have to move on from that.

 

"Lots of new homes are being built, not just in Wallingford but in villages like Benson and Crowmarsh too.

 

"We want people living in those places to think of Wallingford, not Didcot as their market town.

 

"Once people go to Didcot for their weekly shop they could stay there to shop for other things."

 

Ms Atkins said the announcement that work will soon start on the second phase of Didcot’s Orchard Centre should encourage civic leaders to work on a plan to attract a second supermarket for Wallingford.

 

She added: "We are very lucky to have Waitrose – it brings life to the town centre but we really do need an alternative.

 

"There will be some retail units at the former Waitrose store but there is only room for a convenience store not another supermarket.

 

"A supermarket at the value end of the range would be ideal.

 

"Planning permission exists for a supermarket on the Hithercroft site but if that is not going to work then other locations could be considered."

 

In 2013 Morrisons was given planning permission to build a 30,000 sq ft store in Lupton Road on the Hithercroft industrial estate and the proposal would have created 300 jobs.

 

On the night the application was approved by councillors they agreed to back a condition insisting on an 'excellent' Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method rating.

 

Morrisons argued against the condition, and lodged an appeal but later withdrew it.