CONTROVERSIAL plans for Tesco to develop its Petersfield store in The Causeway were due to be decided last night (Thursday) at a planning meeting. The expansion of the store has been described as a threat to Petersfield's "market town identity" by town councillors. The supermarket giant's plan is to extend its store, in tandem with all-weather sports facilities being built at the neighbouring Petersfield School, which would sacrifice land to enable the project to go- ahead. People have been vocal in their concern over the proposals and over the past months issues raised have been put forward by Petersfield town councillors to the supermarket developers, who have so far failed to allay fears as many residents remain unconvinced over the "detrimental" effect the proposals will have on the town. George Watkinson was set to speak on behalf of Petersfield Town Council at the crucial East Hampshire District Council south planning committee meeting. He said: "The town council is objecting to both the Tesco expansion and the school football pitch. "We are not anti-sport or anti-Tesco, but the whole thing is too big. We are going to do our best to put across what the residents have contacted us about and try to put their points forward." The planning officer's recommendation to the district councillors was to accept the proposals. Mr Watkinson said: "If that is the case I hope that at least some conditions are put into place, based on residents' comments, to minimise the detrimental effects these two big applications may have. "I personally feel very strongly about the effect it is going to have on local businesses. I am afraid, like many other towns in the country, we are losing our market town identity." Mr Watkinson said the council had three main reasons for opposing the Tesco development. One was a fear that there would be more traffic in The Causeway as increased numbers of delivery lorries would be arriving at the store, where some already have problems negotiating the roundabout into the supermarket. Another concern was that Tesco developers had not used "fair population figures" to justify the renovation in Petersfield. Mr Watkinson said they had used figures reflecting an area five times the size of Petersfield. "Is the store going to be used as a delivery depot for the other stores in Hampshire?" he asked. Councillors also wanted conditions to be applied to the delivery hours after complaints from residents about noise after midnight. It would be suggested that deliveries be limited to between 6am and 11pm. Plans for the all-weather pitch at The Petersfield School, in Cranford Road, also concerned residents. Mr Watkinson said the main problem could be balls going over the fence and causing accidents. "It is interesting that cricket was previously banned at the school due to balls going over the fence. The applicant has said there will be five-metre fence, but that doesn't hold water as balls will go higher than that. "Schools in Portsmouth used as an example like Admiral Lord Nelson School face at a different angle to the road. "We are worried about the noise to the area, the hours of operation and the floodlighting levels, which they (Tesco developers) say is no worse than moonlight, but is still going to shine into people's windows." For Tesco, the plan means an extension to its online shopping service, with amendments to car parking and a relocation of the store entrance. It would see the current floorspace of 3,382 square metres increased by 2,383 square metres. At TPS, a development of an all-weather sports pitch is planned, including two tennis courts, improvements to the hard surface area to create four multi-use courts, three synthetic cricket strips and two cricket nets, changing facilities and floodlighting to the all-weather pitch. The report from EHDC planning officers said: "The two parts of this application are inextricably linked. Without the sale of part of the playing fields, the school would be unable to progress the sports facility improvements, and without the land the extension to the Tesco store cannot be brought forward. "One can't happen without the other. The two elements of the proposal need to be considered as a single package – hence a single planning application has been submitted."