AN altered proposal to build a new superstore in Bordon received a mixed response from the town council at Monday's planning meeting. Wilkinson wants to construct a new unit on land next to the Forest Shopping Centre.
Although town council members were enthusiastic about the idea of having the store, they were unconvinced that the plans had changed enough to become suitable for the area.
The company had amended its original plans by lowering the height of the two-storey building's roof, as well as widening the pedestrian walkway to the shop.
Planning committee members felt it still looked out of place next to the shopping centre, and an objection was also made about the lack of car parking.
Andrew Carew, the planning committee chairman, said: "We are very much in favour of Wilkinson coming to the town, but we want the company to get the design right. We should also welcome the changes to give it encouragement.
"This integration could be essential to the survival of the centre."
Committee member Chris Wain was vehemently opposed to the design of the unit.
She said: "I still think it is a very ugly building. Why can't we have a quality scheme?" Faith Thomas, the town mayor, believed that the committee should not be too critical of the proposal.
"I just don't think it could be any more ugly than LiDL's building, and we accepted that. We cannot just sit and nit-pick on something that is not as bad," she said.
David Williamson added: "I think we will lose Wilkinson completely, because they may just decide to pull out altogether."
The town council wanted to see an open plaza to be incorporated in the plans and preferred the Forest Centre's integration project as an ideal outline.
No concessions had been made to remedy the car parking problems and it was noted that other traders were unhappy with the situation.
"The Forest Centre traders are objecting on grounds that they believe that the car parks are already used to capacity and if there was an increase in trade that could lead to frustration for customers," said a council spokesman.
The spokesman added that LiDL was opposed as Wilkinson shoppers would be using its car park. But Mr Williamson believed that this could be sour grapes. He questioned LiDL's objection adding that shoppers go and use other stores while parked at LiDL anyway. Although the pedestrian pathway had been widened, Mr Carew believed that improvements could still be made.
"There is a lot of lighting down there and there was real concern about that.
"I think there is still an element that it will possibly be used by skateboarders," Mr Carew said.
Members were also worried that wheelchair users might encounter difficulty trying to get up and down the walkway.
The planning committee requested that the developer's contribution should be used on improving the bus service, creating cycleways , safety barriers and allotments.
It also asked for a meeting to be arranged between Wilkinson and the Town Partnership group, which has the task of drawing up the blueprint for the town's future.
During the meeting, it was revealed that the owner of 47 Forest Road was willing to negotiate the sale of the house for a reasonable price. The sale is crucial for the store to be built.