Worried residents have joined forces to fight against the controversial construction of a Tesco superstore on land just outside Felixstowe, it emerged today.

Tesco wants to build a 30,000 sq ft store on the 30-acre site in Walton High Street, along with 200 homes, offices and community facilities.

Residents have formed Walton Felixstowe Community First (WFCF), which claims an edge-of-town Tesco will cause major difficulties for business in the area and lead to increased traffic.

A spokesman said: “It will kill businesses in Walton and Trimley and it will seriously affect Felixstowe.

“We need smaller shops and local shops coming up with various things and making the town different.

“It will be damaging to the environment and building on agricultural land is in itself terrible. This is unnecessary, it’s a store being built for no purpose at all.”

The Walton Green Partnership, made up of Tesco and landowners Trinity College, Cambridge, believe people who will use the store will be those who already use Tesco in Martlesham so a new store will not affect other businesses.

However WFCF believes that if people use the out-of-town site, they won’t use other stores in Felixstowe, Walton or Trimley.

The spokesman added: “If people get into a car to go to Martlesham then that’s what they are going to do.

“They won’t go down Hamilton Road, it will be a dead town.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “Developments on this scale do prompt a reaction but equally there are people who think this is a good thing.

“If you can keep people in the town to do their groceries then they will stay in town to shop for other things.”

If you are interested in joining WFCF, call 07532 165745 or e-mail inb@wfcf.co.uk.

? Would Tesco be good or bad for the area? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN, or e-mail starletters@archant.co.uk