SUPERMARKET chain Lidl has been rejected as the lynchpin retailer in the scheme put forward by the developer likely to be awarded the contract to turn Minehead's Vulcan Road car park into a shopping complex in a deal worth around £6 million. West Somerset District Council, which owns the land, has told Lincoln-based Simons Developments - chosen as the preferred developer at a behind closed doors meeting last week - that it does not want the German foodstore to be a part of the scheme. The company has been charged with finding an alternative big brand name, refuelling fears that Asda could be back in the running. Councillors are understood to believe Lidl would pose little opposition to the existing Tesco supermarket but opponents of the controversial decision to earmark Vulcan Road for retail only, instead of a mixed use to include some much needed business units, claim a small Asda could easily become a larger one. The council's ruling cabinet considered bids from two other shortlisted developers, Chelverton, Deeley Freed and David McClean, one of which involved Tesco in the highest £7.5m offer aimed at protecting the supermarket chain's current position as the market leader in West Somerset. In addition to what is described as a medium sized foodstore, the Simons scheme includes four non- food outlets, one of which could be Carpetright, and a restaurant, likely to be the Italian chain Tramontes which already trades on the outskirts of Taunton. But since adopting a controversial retail study which concluded that West Somerset needed a further 7,100 square metres of retail space for convenience and comparison goods, the district authority could find itself involved in a race with other landowners in Minehead to provide a site. Somerset County Council could be considering a small supermarket as part of the development of its market/station site, the location of which would be more in line with Government policies to keep retail complexes closer to town centres. Further negotiations to hone the Simons offer are being carried out by the district council's chief executive Tim Howes, his deputy Rod Latham, economic portfolio holder Cllr Nick Messarra and the chairmen of the authority's performance and policy committees Cllrs Christine Lawrence and Simon Stokes. The company is then expected to be recommended as the preferred developer at a special meeting of the full council on Thursday. News of the likely development sparked resigned fury from campaigners who are opposed to turning the Vulcan Road land into a shopping complex. Minehead businessman Graham Sizer, who heads up the town's chamber of trade and is also chairman of the action group DIRECT, said the council was being naive if it believed the mix of outlets would necessarily remain as that put forward by Simons. "Asda could easily get a large store in by the back door," said Mr Sizer. "A company like that will not be happy with a small outlet and will be able to use the council's own retail study as evidence of the need for 7,100 sq metres of retail space. "Asda would be able to demonstrate at any public inquiry that it could meet the need and provide the amount of convenience and comparison goods under one roof. "And if it or any other big company is successful, it will be the developer pocketing the extra cash as the value of the land goes up - not the council." Mr Sizer said it was clear that the council's decision to sell the land for a mixed retail development meant that it had failed to take any notice of the public's views. "It is just after the largest amount of money it can get. There is no recognition of the 6,500 signatures that were collected in a petition against this, or of the biggest turnout for a public march the district has seen. "The council was handed an olive branch with the idea that it could use part of Vulcan Road for retail and part for business units but it chose to ignore the suggestion, despite the fact that the Mart Road industrial estate is bursting at the seams. "I am just despairing of the whole situation and the only message to councillors who have supported this is that they are all likely to end up losing their seats at the next election." Mr Sizer said there were a number of sites closer to the town centre which could provide, in particular, the foodstore element of the additional retail space identified in the controversial study on which the Vulcan Road sell-off is based. "I would imagine that anyone with empty land closer to the town centre would certainly be considering their options - anything could happen." Councillors who attended a day of presentations and debate at the secret session of last Wednesday's cabinet at which the preferred developer was selected were told that the identity of the company had to remain confidential until the outcome of the further negotiations. This was reiterated to the Free Press the following day by council leader Cllr Steven Pugsley and Mr Latham, but within hours of the conversations with both men a release appeared on the council's website identifying Simons Developments. The council needs the cash raised by the sale of Vulcan Road to finance a string of capital projects and other schemes to help it achieve its key aims. Among these are youth activities centres and the delivery of broadband access and other business facilities which the council hopes will generate new jobs. * Simons Developments is a privately owned construction and development company employing 700 people and with an annual turnover in excess of £250 million. It has been developing projects in town centres for more than 30 years, some of which have won local and national awards. The company has worked in partnership with a range of local authorities, most recently on schemes in Leeds, Nottingham and Ipswich. It lists its core activities as out of town retail developments, edge of town or brownfield site developments and commercial and industrial developments.