TESCO has been accused of using The Petersfield School to "further its greedy ambitions" as opposition to a controversial land-swap deal gathered pace this week. The supermarket giant is planning to buy a strip of land owned by the school in order to expand floor space and provide a delivery depot for Internet shopping. This would fund extensive community sports facilities, including an all-weather sports pitch backing onto The Causeway. But home owners on the road fear light-and-noise pollution from the structure will make their lives a misery and are planning to form a residents' association to fight the proposals. In a letter to The Herald, Causeway man Alby Mitchell said: "Tesco are using the school to deflect everything away from what they want to do. "Giving the school a million (pounds) or two sounds great, but don't forget it can be claimed back against tax. "They don't really give a damn about the school, or the people in our town, as long as they can put their hands into our pockets and get our money to finance their bloated profits. "Using the school to further their greedy ambitions must be stopped – not one brick laid. "Do you honestly believe that having lived in Petersfield all my life – 65 years in total and 28 years in the house I worked so hard to buy – that I or any other resident deserve to be treated with such contempt by a company whose motto is profits and greed before people's lives?" Nigel Poole, the headteacher of The Petersfield School, has always maintained that he would be happy to talk to anybody about their concerns. And Felix Gummer, Tesco's spokesman for the south west and south coast, said he was surprised by the comments, claiming that the scheme stood to benefit everybody. "There is an opportunity here to enable the school to provide first-class sports facilities, and we have an opportunity to deliver first-class service to our customers. We think this is a great combination. "During our public consultation, numerous people came up to us and said that there was greater sustainability in the town centre as a result of our being here. "The store has to stand on its own two feet and we are delighted to be able to give the school this opportunity."