A planning application to convert the former Caffyns car showroom on Preston Road into a Sainsbury’s store has been rejected.

The application was refused by the planning committee on the grounds that delivery vehicles trying to turn into the store’s loading bay could pose a risk to motorists and pedestrians, due in part to the bus and cycle lanes running in front of the site.

In its report, the committee said: “The proposed development would significantly increase traffic movements in and around the site which would increase vehicular movements and parking levels in the surrounding streets, to the detriment of the residents of these streets and the overall character of the Preston Park Conservation Area.”

A group set up by local residents, the Preston Village ‘No to Sainsbury’s’ Action Group, has been campaigning against the proposal since it was put forward in March this year.

Elizabeth Exton