Plans for new Lidl next to Shrewsbury Town's stadium under fire

The groups say the land involved was designated for a community pitch, although the club insists it has never served that purpose and that community finals are instead played on the main Greenhous Meadow pitch.

Sport England, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the Shropshire Playing Fields Association have all objected to the supermarket proposal.

However, Brian Caldwell, chief executive of Shrewsbury Town Football Club, said the land has never been used for community football and that local finals are instead held on the main stadium pitch.

Mr Caldwell added that plans were under way to move the first team training to land at Sundorne, freeing up the team's current pitch.

He said should the Lidl application go ahead, it could finance an upgrade of the pitch which would then be used by people around the area through Shrewsbury Town in the Community.

But a statement submitted on behalf of the CPRE said: "The site is open grassland designated as a community pitch and we feel strongly that the area should be protected from development of any kind. Furthermore, we understand that this field, along with the six five-a-side pitches, were covered by a covenant to ensure that they remained for recreational use."

The scheme was submitted to Shropshire Council at the start of the year for land next to the Shrewsbury Town Stadium in Oteley Road. But plans have already divided residents after it was revealed the store could lead to Waitrose pulling out of plans for a site nearby.

More than 100 comments have been submitted, both objecting to and supporting the plans which could bring up to 40 jobs to the site. Dave Kilby, secretary of the SPFA, said development over the last few years means the community pitch is needed in the town.

He said: "Given the massive growth in residential accommodation in and around this grass pitch area since 2008, it would seem unlikely that any evidence could be produced that would suggest there is a surplus of sport pitches in this area for community use.

"Given the massive growth in recent times, the evidence would clearly suggest there is now more need for this grass pitch than there was in 2007."

James Morris, planning manager for Sport England, said it objected "on the basis that it will result in the loss of playing field", until a suitable agreement was delivered, or arrangements are confirmed for a replacement provision.

Mr Morris added that if a condition could be found the retain the facilities, the organisation would withdraw its objection.

In a statement submitted alongside the plans, Plan A Limited, on behalf of Lidl, said: "Whilst the site was provisionally identified for use as a community sports facility, the football club has met the demands arising for this facility on the main stadium pitch and community users do not wish for this arrangement to change.

"It is the case that the application site has never been marked out or used as a sport or recreational facility and its use as such is only implied through a legal agreement that the council has previously advised will not be enforced.

"The application site, therefore, represents an area of undeveloped, incidental, private space."