A court bid to challenge a decision which gave the go-ahead for a multi-million pound new supermarket in Telford has been thrown out, it was revealed today.

Telford Shopping Centre owners Hark asked for a judicial review surrounding the granting of planning permission.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s plans board gave planning permission for the Asda store to be built on the authority’s current civic offices site.

But the legal application was refused at a recent hearing at Birmingham Crown Court. Now Hark, which owns the centre where Asda currently has its store, is considering whether to appeal the decision.

A spokeswoman said: “I can confirm that the application to grant leave for judicial review was in relation to the granting of planning permission to build a supermarket on the civic offices site.

“The application to grant leave for judicial review has been refused.” She added: “We are therefore considering appealing this decision.”

A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman said: “As this is a matter of continuing legal proceedings, we cannot comment any further on this issue at this stage.”

The council’s plans board had approved the application for the new 44,000 sq ft store in January this year.

The plans were passed despite objections from Hark, which had wanted Asda to stay in the centre.

The Asda store plans had been referred to the then Secretary of State but the application was not called in.

Hark also submitted plans of its own to build a £30 million “iconic” timber-clad building on the Red Oak car park to house a supermarket and other retail units, which has also been approved.

Hark had claimed the civic offices development would harm the town centre and cost jobs.

Bosses said it would continue to “vigorously” oppose the application, which it claimed conflicted with both national and regional planning policy.

Asda is hoping to open its new store by 2014.

Council staff are due to move to a proposed five-storey building.

By Lisa Rowley