EMPLOYEES at a Williton company have thrown their weight behind controversial plans for a new supermarket and retail development in the village.

A total of 27 of the 30 staff at Flexible Packaging Solutions on the Roughmoor Industrial Estate have signed a letter in support of a major scheme by local businessman David Gliddon on the site of his family-run agricultural machinery firm in Bank Street.

Mr Gliddon is hoping to win planning permission for a supermarket just under half the size of Minehead's Morrisons store, together with a 175-space car park.

The scheme would also include a further 1,300 square metres of units, plus office accommodation, five flats and a pedestrian link forming a precinct through to Fore Street.

But the proposal, which is expected to go before West Somerset Council's planning committee in the next month or so, has attracted a string of objections from local traders and local people.

The council has already been handed a 1,239-signature petition against the proposal and more than 200 campaigners took part in a protest march through the village in April.

Objectors claim the development would rip the heart out of the village, lead to increased traffic and threaten the future of existing shops.

But in a letter to the council's planning manager Andrew Goodchild, the Flexible Packaging Solutions staff say they believe it would help bring Williton into the 21st century.

They describe the village as the hub of West Somerset but somewhere "without reason to stop".

"Having the proposed retail development will help bring job opportunities and also encourage surrounding villages like Crowcombe to shop more locally, and therefore help both travel and environmental costs," said the employees.

"This will increase the amount of people shopping in the village and help improve trade for local shops.

"Taking into consideration the ideas put forward, we would like to support the retail development proposed."