A BID to build a Tesco supermarket on the old Focus site on the outskirts of Tavistock should be fought, a planning consultant this week told the town's chamber of commerce.

Stephen Gill, who represented the chamber when it campaigned against an application by Sainsbury's several years ago, said planning policies always put town centres first in order to protect their vitality.

Mr Gill said: 'It's a key consideration that's backed up by West Devon's core strategy and retail study.

'Tavistock is particularly vulnerable to an out of town supermarket, because of the large number of independent shops. A ten per cent decrease in trade on other towns might not be significant, but in Tavistock it would be devastating, and it's the impact figures that are the key,' said Mr Gill.

'My recommendation, certainly on the grounds of planning policy regarding the impact on town businesses, is you should take the stance of fighting it off.'

But some members of the chamber held opposing views.

John Harding, of Fairway Furniture, said Marchfield Properties, which owns the Focus site, had wanted to come to speak to the chamber, wanted to become a member of the chamber, but had been rejected on both counts.

He said it was important to realise that not all members of the chamber were opposed to a supermarket on the Focus site: 'We believe our duty as retailers is to serve the public. The chamber really should do the best job it can to provide a whole service to the people of Tavistock and the district, out of town and in town.

'I've lived in Tavistock for 41 years and I am well aware of its character. We believe there has to be a mix of retail. We challenged the methodology of the retail study and considerable evidence has been presented to West Devon Borough Council.

'Morrisons is over-trading by up to 30%, Tavistock is an expanding town. Surely it makes sense not to leave the Focus building empty if we can get a smaller supermarket in to complement Morrisons?'

Peter Harding said the chamber was putting itself in a 'very difficult position' by refusing to speak to Marchfield Properties.

He said: 'I still think that the chamber is perhaps being seen to be burying its head in the sand on this issue.

'When you see the number of letters of support in the paper, the balance is massively in favour of a supermarket. I want Tavistock to be a thriving town —Marchfield have no interest in making it a ghost town where nobody shops.'

Addressing Nigel Eadie, the chamber chairman, Mr Harding said: 'You said it doesn't matter what supermarket occupies that site. We think it does matter. If you want to stop a bid by Asda, it might be in the chamber's interest to look at Tesco with slightly wider open eyes.

'If you continually speak against it in public, you are alienating retailers on that side of town who feel disenfranchised by the chamber. We are not happy with an empty unit on our doorstep. All we ask is you treat us the same way as the rest of the town centre.'

Martin Hawkins, of Tavistock Picture Framing Company, said: 'We need to work together here. A supermarket will help bring people to the area but it's up to the town to bring people in too.

'We have had a real hammering over the years, the chamber objected to Halfords coming to our part of the town, now we have supermarket opposition — we feel like we are being battered.'

Chamber member Mike Harper believed a Tesco would only have an impact on Morrisons. He said rather than trying to scupper a Tesco scheme, the chamber should be trying to promote what was going on in the town centre.

Kate Royston, of Transition Tavistock, said the supermarket issue was 'a conundrum' — the challenge facing the chamber was how to support and strengthen local food production, job creation and the local supply chain.

'The challenge you have with an organisation like Tesco is it takes money out of the local economy, but it's also important we have a constructive approach. It's important to remember the Plymouth Road area needs our support,' she said.

But Janet Eadie of The Original Pasty House said she believed the situation in the town was no different to when the Sainsbury's planning appeal was dismissed due to its potential impact on the town centre. She was concerned that Tesco might expand once it had a foothold in the Plymouth Road area.

And Graham Sim challenged the view that Morrisons was over-trading, stating the shop was only very busy at certain times.

Chamber chairman Nigel Eadie said 'complete myths' had developed about the chamber's beliefs.

'The chamber isn't against supermarkets, it's pro-town centre. We realise people need them, but we are not in favour of development in the wrong place.

'We may have a contingent within the chamber membership that have a very biased opinion in favour of this supermarket but we need to reflect the majority opinion.'

Mr Eadie also felt that trading figures at Morrisons were mis-leading.

'I have never not been able to park there. Often when you go down there are more people stacking shelves than buying food.'

The chamber agreed that a representative from Marchfield Properties should be invited to speak to the chamber at its next meeting.