ASDA 'weighing its options' after Blandford Forum TESCO expansion approval.

BLANDFORD FORUM - Yesterday's decision by North Dorset District Council to approve plans for a larger TESCO in the town have raised a big question mark over the proposal to develop an area to the north of the town.

The proposal, which culminated in a planning application currently under consideration, would create a business centre at Blandford Heights and include new business units alongside an ASDA supermarket and petrol station.

Just before Christmas Blandford Town Council asked NDDC to delay the decision on TESCO so that it may be weighed against the merits of the ASDA plan - on the assumption that it was unlikely that both applications would get approval.

Oliver Jones, Property Communications Manager for ASDA said, "We are terribly disappointed with the decision made today. The ASDA and business centre project has received an incredible amount of support from the local community in Blandford and all of our research shows that additional choice and competition is preferred to simply enlarging the existing Tesco store. We will now have to take some time to weigh our options.