'Land is for industrial use only' '“ council

The council has earmarked 23.05 hectares on Oldlands Farm for industrial uses.

These could be light industry, research and development, general industry and warehousing and distribution.

Retailing '“ which Asda wants on an eight-acre plot there '“ falls into a different category of land use in planning terms.

Arun resources director Nigel Croad said the council had '˜made it very clear' to Asda that it wanted only industrial premises occupying the out-of- town site alongside Shripney Road.

'The council is not in favour of retail provision at Oldlands Farm,' he explained at last week's joint western Arun area committee.

Arun's head of planning services Howard Cheadle said the decision by Asda to hold a public exhibition about its proposals was merely the company outlining its scheme.

'Asda is going through the preliminary stages of submitting a planning application,' he said.

The company already had sent some information to the council about the impact of its proposals on the surrounding area.

Government guidelines stated that part of the build-up to a formal planning application being sent in for a scheme of this size should feature public consultation.

'Everybody is asked to do it. This is not an indication of any sort of done deal about the scheme,' stressed Mr Cheadle.

'This is nothing to do with whether this is a good idea or a bad idea at all. This is just about Asda submitting a planning application.

'Anyone can make a planning application for anything on any land provided they go about in the correct process.'