BUSINESSES in Williton are preparing to fight a renewed bid for a new supermarket they fear will tear the heart out of the village's retail centre.

Controversial proposals from long-established agricultural machinery specialists J Gliddon and Sons to develop the company's current premises in Bank Street and land behind were first submitted to West Somerset Council two years ago.

But the scheme for a supermarket just under half the size of Minehead's Morrisons store, a 175-space car park, a further 1,300 gross square metres of units, plus office accommodation, five flats and a pedestrian link to Fore Street, never came before the authority's planning committee.

And David Gliddon, the man behind the scheme, has now resubmitted the plans with a number of minor amendments and additional information.

The changes focus largely on the mini-roundabout which would be constructed as part of the development - a three-arm configuration rather than the original four-arm design - and updated retail, transport, design and access and planning statements.

But the latest application has sparked much the same reaction amongst the local business community as the original proposal.

Williton Chamber of Commerce chairman Edward Martin told the Free Press that although he and his members had yet to look in detail at the refreshed plans, their view remained unchanged.

"The chamber's stance on this development is the same as it was two years ago," he said.

"We are not anti new businesses coming into the village but we want things that will complement the existing shops, not duplicate them."

Mr Martin said the applicant's own impact assessment submitted with the original plans had shown that the supermarket would result in a 47 per cent loss of business for Williton's Spa outlet, 35 per cent for the Co-Op and 14 per cent for other shops.

"The knock-on effect on the existing retail centre would be massive," he said.

"We have an excellent mix of shops and services in this village.

"We have one or two gaps - for instance I'd love to see a bakers back - but what we don't need is another supermarket.

"We are very well served by the existing supermarkets."

Mr Martin said the chamber - which previously staged a public meeting on the supermarket bid - would be meeting within the next week to develop a strategy for opposing the latest plans.

Brian Tyner, who has run Williton Post Office for almost seven years with his wife Caroline, said the impact of another supermarket and a development of the size proposed would be catastrophic.

He said one local resident who had retired to the village two years ago had specifically made it his home because of the wide range of facilities and services available.

"He did quite a bit of research when he was deciding where to move to and discovered that there are only nine villages in the whole country with the range of shops and services that Williton has.

"We simply cannot lose the great mix of shops that we currently have."

But Mr Gliddon described his company's proposal as "a one-off opportunity for Williton".

"I want the development to help existing businesses and strengthen the whole of the centre to ensure it meets the needs of existing and future residents," he said.

"The long term future of Williton's shops depends on local people choosing to shop here.

"At the moment too many of them prefer to travel to more distant, cheaper facilities with free parking, including out of town stores such as in Minehead.

"A new supermarket centrally located in Williton would give them an alternative.

"It will also help increase the attractiveness of Williton to holidaymakers, encouraging them to stop here rather than travel through.

"The increase in the number of visitors, improved parking and an attractive, traffic-free route to Fore Street will all assist in achieving this aim."

Mr Gliddon is predicting the development would create around 150 full and part-time jobs and by increasing the number of visitors and improving car parking would also help existing businesses.

The plans are available to view online at http://www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk">www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk, application number 3/39/11/002, or at the district council offices in Killick Way, Williton.

A total of 11 public comments had been lodged by yesterday (Thursday) - seven against the proposal and four in support.

The consultation period will run until March 4 and the council is aiming to determine the application by late April.

Williton Parish Council will decide its view on the development at its monthly meeting on March 4, which will be held in the district council chamber, rather than the parish council offices, to accommodate members of the public wanting to attend.