RESEARCH claiming that out-of-town superstores can damage small towns has been welcomed by traders in Rawtenstall.

The town's Chamber of Commerce is against plans to develop a new £30 million retail complex at Newhallhey.

Councillors at the engineering and planning committee meeting tonight will decide the planning application made by Tesco and Hurstwood Developments, and officers have recommended that it be refused.

The research report, The Impact of Large Foodstores on Market Towns and District Centres, has been published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

It found that large foodstores outside town or district centres have cut the market share of food retailers in towns and centres by 13 to 15 per cent.

Chamber of Commerce president Tony Winder said: "It is what we have been saying for the last two and a half years. The impact these stores have made on market towns has been devastating.

"Let's hope Rawtenstall and Rossendale can now look forward to some forward thinking when it comes to planning the shopping requirements and needs of this borough."

Minister for the regions, regeneration and planning Richard Caborn told the Action for Towns Conference, in Wellington, last week: "This research firmly establishes that out-of-town superstores can seriously damage the health of small towns and district centres. Arguments about clawing back trade and creating jobs simply do not hold water.

"The report provides yet further justification for the Government's policy of concentrating appropriately-sized new supermarkets in existing centres and resisting out-of-centre development.

"Local planning authorities now need to get their plans up to date and identify the town centre sites where new shopping development will be encouraged."

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