Two Oswestry firms today said they would continue to appeal against the decision on where the town’s new supermarket should be built despite losing the support of retail giant Tesco.

Tesco was supporting a joint planning appeal against the decision not to give approval to bids to build a store either on timber firm Richard Burbidge Ltd’s Whittington Road site or car firm JT Hughes and guttering company Guttercrest’s Victoria road site.

The joint appeal was lodged after Shropshire councillors decided the new supermarket should be built on Oswestry’s Smithfield livestock site.

That decision meant the bid by Tesco to come to Oswestry as part of the Burbidge application was unsuccessful.

The JT Hughes/Guttercrest bid was also rejected, prompting all three Oswestry firms, as well as Tesco, to launch a joint appeal.

But Tesco has announced it is withdrawing from the process.

A spokeswoman for Tesco’s planning division confirmed the withdrawal but declined to comment any further.

The Tesco decision will not halt the appeal process, according to planning consultants working for Burbidge, JT Hughes and Guttercrest.

Peter Vernon, planning consultant for the Burbidge application, said: “Tesco informed us a few weeks back that they had withdrawn.

“It would not be right for me to speak for them and give the reasons, which are quite complex. But we can confirm our appeal is continuing without Tesco.

“We are now at the stage where a timescale is being discussed. What form that appeal takes, whether it is for example a full formal hearing, is still to be decided.”

Les Stephan, planning consultant for the JT Hughes/Guttercrest application, said: “They were supporting our joint appeal with Burbidges but we have been told they have withdrawn.”

He added: “The joint appeal is continuing now without Tesco and we are at a stage called bespoke procedures where we are discussing timescales and how this should progress.”

By Iain St John