PLANNING permission has been granted for devel opers to build a Tesco store at London Road, Amesbury.

Supermarket giants Asda and Tesco went head to construct superstores in Amesbury, with Asda wanting to build on Solstice Park and Tesco applying for London Road.

A planning inquiry, held at the Bowman Centre in Archers Gate in Amesbury, began in January and con cluded its final week in April.

Residents of Amesbury and the surrounding area attended the inquiry to voice their views, and the majority were in favour of more choice for shoppers.

At the meeting Cllr Dennis Brown said: “All I ask of you, on behalf of the residents of Amesbury, is that you give us that important retail choice and allow another super market to be built here.”

Planning inspector Mary O’Rourke led the inquiry into both applications and issued her decision this morning.

The Secretary of State agreed with her recom mendation and considered the Tesco application to be preferable to the Asda pro posal in terms of accessi bility and the sequential approach, design and landscape impacts and employment policy.