PLANS for a new retail park on the junction of Mill Lane and Montecchio Way were said to show "95 per cent of a good site" when agreed last week. District councillor David O'Donnell, whose Holybourne and Froyle ward backs on to the Altonian Coaches depot which will now make way for four retail warehouse units, said the proposal was a "good plan on a good site, which is good for the town". He reiterated concerns brought up by Alton Town Council over traffic and access problems in Mill Lane and on the junction, calling for more money from developers to bolster recent road improvement works there. His comments came at a meeting of the district council's north planning committee last Thursday, where a majority of councillors voted in favour of the scheme on the condition that further roadworks are considered. A final decision on the project, which would see the demolition of all the existing buildings on the site in breach of the council's policy of retaining industrial sites for business, now rests with the Secretary of State. Although no companies have signed up to occupy the units yet, the retail park is said to be suitable for 'bulky goods' retailers. Mr O'Donnell said an agreed £75,000 contribution from the developer for 'sustainable transport measures' "must not be spent on grass verges, but on improving the junction and traffic loads on Mill Lane". Echoing those fears John Smith (Alton Westbrooke) called for traffic lights to be used on the junction during peak commuter hours to tackle "tail backs running halfway through the industrial estate". Committee vice-chairman, Anthony Williams, said he would support the installation of traffic lights or a roundabout on the junction to give vehicles leaving the retail park "an equal chance of moving". But senior planning officer Chris Murray told the committee "access issues have been carefully looked at" by officers, who decided that "no further works are needed at this time". He explained it would be difficult to challenge surveyors who, in their official report, are satisfied the roadworks to date are adequate because peak times for commuters and shoppers using the junction are different. Mr Murray said developers' contributions would be used to "improve links from the town centre to the site", admitting some money would be spent on landscaping to "make the area more attractive to investors". Mr O'Donnell said he was "amazed" the council's highways department was not worried about the cumulative effect on traffic of the retail park and the new Chandos Lodge development behind the Grange hotel. While Mr Smith said the department "have the blinkers on when it comes to development in Alton", arguing that even though the depot is a "perfectly suitable site for retail", the proposal may still have a negative impact on the town. But not everyone shared their concerns. Brian Dickinson (Binsted and Bentley) said: "Putting a sales complex in there will increase employment and prosperity in general. I think it's a good idea." Planning officer Keith Oliver confirmed that the retail park is expected to create at least 100 jobs, an increase of up to 10 times the number of workers employed at the depot. Jerry Janes (Alton Wooteys) argued that traffic was not as big a problem as other committee members feared and a footpath between the retail park and next door Focus DIY store would stop shoppers driving between the two sites. He added: "The attraction of this site is that it will stop people like me who get bored on Sunday and go to Basingstoke to buy something. "This application is good for residents, especially those on the new Chandos Lodge estate, who won't need to go out of town to get things because they will be right on their doorstep." Mr Janes said the Focus store had not had a negative impact on local businesses and that large retail units actually complimented town centres because shoppers visited them for different reasons. Mr Oliver quelled fears of more retail warehouses in the area by saying that, depending on the businesses which occupy the new park, it was likely to saturate the market and prevent any future large-scale retail developments.