PROTESTERS have said a defiant ‘no’ to bosses of a supermarket who want to build a store on the edge of a market town.

That was the message chanted by more than 100 campaigners against plans for the new superstore in Bishop’s Waltham.

Waving giant placards and blowing vuvuzelas, the group handed in a 4,500 petition opposing the store to council bosses in Winchester.

The 60-metre-long petition was given to the leader of Winchester City Council, Cllr Kelsie Learney, on the steps of the Guildhall.

For the past 18 months, Bishop’s Waltham Action Group (BWAG) has been campaigning to stop Sainsbury’s building its proposed superstore on the historic Abbey Mill site.

Protesters have also had the backing of Britain’s Got Talent judge and actress Amanda Holden, who grew up in the area. She threw her weight behind the campaign when she opened the town’s fete earlier this summer.

Tony Kippenberger, BWAG chairman, said: “It is absolutely vital that all those who oppose this monster store being imposed on our small rural town really do sit down and write to Winchester City Council.

“It is clear from Sainsbury’s own figures that many shops on our High Street will shut down as the superstore simply hoovers up business that they absolutely cannot afford to lose.

“We hope the petition and the hundreds of letters already flooding in will be a clear and convincing signal to the city council that the plans are very strongly opposed.”

The petition was started by BWAG president and village fishmonger, Peter Atkinson, and has been signed by residents of Bishop’s Waltham, its surrounding villages, and those who visit the medieval market town, whose High Street dates back to at least 1332.

Bosses at Sainsbury’s, however, say that their new store would attract more shoppers back to the village, and stop the flow of residents going out of town to do their main food shopping.

A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said: “While we are aware of significant opposition to the scheme, we are increasingly aware of significant support from within the local community.

“We know that the majority of Bishop’s Waltham residents travel to supermarkets out of the town to do their main food shopping.

“We firmly believe that increasing main food shopping choice closer to home would help to attract these shoppers back to Bishop’s Waltham.

“By promoting and encouraging linked trips with the town centre as part of our proposals, trade which is currently lost to other towns could be retained within B i s h o p ’ s Waltham for the benefit of town centre shops and businesses.”

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