TRADERS and residents are today preparing for a long battle against supermarket giant Tesco – saying they are prepared to defend their town and their livelihoods.

A packed public meeting was told a massive superstore would mean the loss of independent shops, full-time jobs, while some communities had seen shopping centres become ghost towns.

Expert Lady Caroline Cranbrook, who has actively campaigned against edge-of-town Tesco stores in the region, said the proposed supermarket at Walton Green, Walton High Street, Felixstowe, was “in absolutely the wrong place, too big and has come at the wrong time”.

“It’s a greenfield site, which is contrary to national retail policy and contrary to Suffolk Coastal council’s policy,” she told the meeting at Trinity Methodist Church.

“It will certainly have a negative effect on the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“For a superstore to attract the number of customers it needs to be viable it will create big traffic problems, too, for that area.

“It’s too big and there is absolutely no justification for a store of that size, especially as half of its catchment area is the sea. There is no need for this ludicrous giant store.”

Lady Cranbrook said shopping habits were changing due to the internet and some analysts were saying that large stores could become white elephants.

She said even senior Tesco management had said recently that they needed to concentrate on town centre stores rather than building big new ones.

The Walton Green Partnership – comprising Tesco and landowners Trinity College, Cambridge – is planning to submit a planning application for the store, along with 200 homes, offices and community facilities, in the spring.

It is currently finalising its proposals, which will be unveiled at an exhibition soon. The partnership says most people who will use the store will be people who already travel to Tesco at Martlesham and does not expect a large impact on the town centre.

n What is your view on Tesco’s store proposal? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ispwich IP4 1AN, or you can e-mail starletters@archant.co.uk