A TEENAGER from Salisbury has started a petition against the plan by supermarket giant Sainsbury’s to build a new supermarket opposite the Tesco store off Southampton Road.

Hamish Mundell, 16, who lives near the site, said he objects to the proposal put forward by as the Salisbury Gateway project on environmental, traffic and planning grounds, and wanted to make his and other voices heard.

“I listened to what was being said about it and I wanted to do something proactive,” he said.

“Everyone is against this and I had the time to organise this so I did.

“This plan is something that will make our community suffer.”

The multi-million pound project would include a petrol station, a car park and a 12-acre wildlife and wetlands area as well as modifications to Southampton Road, which the developers claim will improve traffic issues and will not exacerbate flooding problems in the area.

An initial planning application for the project, which will create 400 jobs, was submitted in June 2012 but withdrawn following public consultation.

More consultation has been undertaken this year, with the developers hoping to submit a second planning application to Wiltshire Council in the next few weeks.

Hamish is also backing the calls of local people for the supermarket firm to look to the other side of the city for a site for a new store rather than going head to head with Tesco next to a flood plain and notoriously busy road.

He has won the support of Wiltshire councillor Richard Clewer, who has set up a survey at website surveymonkey.com/s/RZCBQ8T to gauge public opinion and an e-petition at change.org/petitions/sainsbury-s-stop-sainsbury-s-southampton-road-plans-for-salisbury.

The pair will be outside the Guildhall in Salisbury from midday on Saturday to gather signatures for the petition.