A Bridgnorth business leader today hit out days before the huge Whitburn Street development begins, claiming the scheme will “destroy the town”.

Work on the Whitburn Street relief road is due to start on Monday.

It is part of a development plan devised by supermarket giant Sainsbury’s and includes extending the town store and building a new DIY warehouse.

Wayne Vernon, of Bridgnorth Chamber of Commerce, said although he supported the relief road he felt the loss of car parking spaces through the DIY store was “putting the boot” into Bridgnorth.

He said: “The problem is the loss of all-day parking spaces. Everybody who parks on Smithfield at the moment is going to have to find somewhere else to park.

“With allowing the DIY store there’s no way they’ll let people to park there and work in the town all day. They want people who park there to go into the store.

“People are not going to want to come into the town because of the parking situation. The relief road itself is a good idea, anyone who walks down Whitburn Street would agree.”

He added: “It will destroy the town with limited parking left available.”

The Whitburn Street relief road will be built in four phases.

The initial phase will see engineers from contractors Birse building the road from Whitburn Street up to and including the Bridgnorth Hospital access point.

During this phase, access to the Old Smithfield car park will stay open. Phases two and three will see the construction of both the northern and southern halves of the car park.

The final phase, which is scheduled to be finished by November 24, will link the relief road with Northgate.