A SUPERMARKET giant which last year lost its appeal to be allowed to build a store in Hadleigh has confirmed it has had further talks with planners.The signs are that Tesco has not completely abandoned its hope of building a supermarket on run-down industrial land behind the town's High Street.

A SUPERMARKET giant which last year lost its appeal to be allowed to build a store in Hadleigh has confirmed it has had further talks with planners.

The signs are that Tesco has not completely abandoned its hope of building a supermarket on run-down industrial land behind the town's High Street.

A spokesman for the company confirmed that the company's discussions with planning officers at Babergh had focused on what he called the narrow issues raised by the Secretary of State in his judgement on the appeal.

The grounds for rejecting the appeal included design of the store and the problems of access to the site from the town's High Street.

However, the appeal judgement also accepted there was a shortage of food shops in the town and that Tesco's chosen site, the Brett Works Industrial Estate, was a suitable choice within easy walking distance of the town centre.

The Tesco spokesman said: "The council's position regarding its proposed Local Plan was also discussed. As the Secretary of State found that there is a need for a new foodstore with adequate car parking to serve Hadleigh, the company was interested to know how the council's Local Plan will address these issues."

With the Local Plan currently going through its alteration process, Babergh councillors have been given a briefing note on the situation, which accepts the need for more food shopping in Hadleigh and also that a site in or near the town centre needed to be chosen.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of surveyors' activity in Bridge Street, which has been suggested as an alternative access to the industrial estate.