RESIDENTS responding to a consultation on the future shopping needs of Tavistock are calling for a referendum to decide whether the town needs another supermarket.

Some 220 residents in favour of a new supermarket have signed a petition asking for West Devon Borough Council either to hold a referendum or change planning policy to allow for such a development on a brownfield site.

The petition has been presented to the borough council as part of a consultation on the draft retail study which will be used to help decide the future shopping and leisure provision in the town.

Petition instigators said there was no specific opportunity within the borough council's retail study questionnaire to state support for a supermarket on a brownfield site so this was a way of making views known.

The independent study shows that there is only capacity in the town for a limited amount of new food shopping space by 2031, but many residents disagree, saying another sizeable supermarket would enhance the town, create more choice and prevent people travelling to Plymouth and Okehampton to do their bulk shopping.

Tavistock Chamber of Commerce fought strongly against a plan by Sainsburys to develop a site in Plymouth Road three years ago and the planning decision to refuse consent for the supermarket by West Devon Borough Council was upheld by a planning inspector when it went to appeal.

The main reason for its failure was that another out of town supermarket would have a negative impact on town centre shops — that risk to the town centre is reiterated in the latest study's findings.

But borough resident and business owner Martin Hawkins said that at the Sainsburys appeal the borough council's retail expert conceded that Morrisons was overtrading by 14.2% and that was likely to have increased over the last three years.

Mr?Hawkins said:?'We believe the retail study is flawed and our concern is that people reading it are taking it as conclusive that another supermarket is not needed or people do not want it. When speaking to people face to face we know that clearly this is not the case.'

The Times recently reported that the owners of the former Focus DIY building on the Plymouth Road Retail Park are due to put in a planning application in the new year for a supermarket on that site.

This has been welcomed by businesses on the park who say their trade has been affected by what is now an 'eyesore' after being vacant for 18 months.

The site is currently the subject of a judicial review process which will determine what type of business can operate there.

Tavistock resident Linda Elliott said she was one of those people who travelled out of town to shop to get more choice.

She said:?'If we had another supermarket in town there would be fewer people going to Plymouth to shop. I do not think it will affect the shops in town whatsoever.

'The biggest problem with Tavistock is the parking; whilst there is not sufficient parking people are always going to use out of town supermarkets anyway.

'A supermarket would also create employment for people in the town.'

A spokesman for West Devon Borough Council said: 'Currently, no plans for a new supermarket in Tavistock have been submitted to the council. Should an application be received, it will be assessed against the council's policies in its Core Strategy. This includes a requirement for all retailing proposals to demonstrate that there is no unacceptable impact on the town centre.

'The independent retail study, "Shaping our Towns of Tomorrow", identified a ne­ed for only a small amount of new food shopping space to be provided between now and 2031.

'The study suggests options to meet this need could include expanding the existing supermarkets or allowing a smaller local or express-type store elsewhere in the town.'

The consultation on the retail study ended last Friday.?The council is reviewing the responses and they will be made available on its website shortly.