A NEW supermarket for Okehampton could be moving a step closer, as mega retailer Tesco aims to submit formal planning permission for a new store in the town before Christmas.

The supermarket chain has been working on a planning application for a new food store in the town off Link Road and North Road. Earlier this year, the retailer announced their intention to create a 31,000 square foot store in Okehampton, with up to 270 free car parking spaces on the site.

The planned store would be built on the Thompsons Devon site, if given the go-ahead. The store would create around 180 new full-time and part-time jobs. Employees at Thompsons Devon would be given an opportunity to interview at Tesco.

Spokesperson for Tesco Melanie Chiswell said the retailer had received a lot of support for an Okehampton branch on the social networking website Facebook, and from feedback received at public meetings held earlier this year.

She said: 'As far as the Okehampton store goes, we are getting on with it. There are a few things we needed to discuss before the application is formally put in. That is the design of the store, its size, and many other elements that need to go into the design of a new Tesco store.

'It has been a process of getting all those elements in place. Our target is to get our formal planning application submitted before Christmas.'

The issue has divided opinion in people among the town.

Okehampton mayor Cllr the Rev Mike Davies said: 'There are obviously strong opinions on both sides of the argument for whether Okehampton should have a Tesco or another supermarket.

'I have spoken to a lot of people about the issue now, and there have been residents who are vocally in support of a Tesco store in the town, and there are those who are strongly against the idea.

'There is a big split in opinion.

'As a councillor, I will wait to see the plans put in front of us, and make an opinion then. Until then, I will continue to listen to people to discuss the issue.'

Okehampton Community First, an off-shoot of the town's Chamber of Trade, has carried out a survey asking residents of Okehampton for their thoughts on to whether the town needs a new supermarket, and their other shopping habits and requirements.

The survey results show that the majority of people who responded were against another large supermarket in the town.

The chairman of Okehampton and District's Chamber of Trade Ian Bailey said that opinion was evenly split among business owners, though he felt that most of the people he had spoken to were against a supermarket on the Thompsons site.

He said: 'My personal stance is that there are enough supermarkets in the centre of Okehampton, and we do not need another one in that position within the town.

'That is not to say that another supermarket will not be required in the town at some point, what with the new housing being built.

'But a supermarket of any kind on this site is not where those houses are going to be, and will not serve them any better than our current supermarkets.

'Another problem with that site is that it will create massive traffic problems, aggravating the issue.

'One of the biggest issues that our businesses come up against is the level of congestion in the town.

'Building a store where Tesco want to go will only make that worse.

'I think there is a wider issue that a Tesco store would adversely affect trade in the town centre. It could do a lot of damage to a lot of businesses here.

'I hope that the council will be sensible when looking at this application and take that into consideration.'