AN appeal has been lodged against a decision to refuse permission for a revised Christchurch supermarket scheme.

Developers Brookhouse have appealed against Christchurch council’s refusal to approve their revised plans for the food store at Meteor Retail Park in Somerford.

Councillors threw out plans earlier this year, just a week after they refused a Morrisons supermarket at Beagle Technology on Stony Lane.

There is already existing permission for a supermarket on the Somerford Road site – formerly Stylesouth Interiors and PC World – along with two separate retail units.

The revised plans were seeking to amalgamate two proposed retail units on the site into the main food store.

But concerns over the affect of the supermarket on the town centre shops led to the refusal, despite the offer of 160 jobs, a £500,000 town centre fund and highway improvements.

Tom Whitehead, from Brookhouse, said: “I can confirm that Brookhouse has lodged an appeal against refusal by Christchurch Borough Council’s Planning Control Committee on January 30.

“The appeal relates to applications to vary the conditions relating to the existing planning permission.

“The refused applications do not propose any additional gross retail floor area to that already approved by the council; we are simply seeking to reconfigure that floorspace to meet operator requirements.

“Meanwhile, the local community remain strongly supportive of the scheme, and the jobs, regeneration and shopping choice (i.e. price competition) that a new store would entail.”

The appeal will be decided by written representations. An operator for the store has not yet been revealed.