THE chairman of an anti-supermarket group in Cheddar says Sedgemoor District Council’s approval for a new Sainsbury’s is ‘a severe blow for localism’.

Councillors voted seven to five in favour of the store being built at Steart Farm in Wedmore Road.

Keep Cheddar Special was formed by Cheddar residents after both Sainsbury’s and Tesco applied to build stores in the village.

It is made up of people who believe the two proposals are unnecessary and detrimental to the village’s character.

Chairman Richard Miller said the vote was narrow and group members are disappointed by the council’s decision.

He said: “Both the group and the parish council made impassioned appeals, although these obviously failed to convince some committee members.”

Both Cheddar Parish Council and Axbridge Town Council objected to the Sainsbury’s plan on the basis that it would create more traffic.

They also feared the store would have a detrimental effect on local shops.

The application had been subject to 596 letters of objection, and one petition, along with 207 letters of support.

Mr Miller added: “There was an unprecedented level of objection for this application from both residents and the parish council and we feel that this decision is a severe blow for localism.”

There is an outstanding application for a Tesco on the village football club site still in the consultation period.

However, the Sainsbury’s approval is subject to the retail giant helping the local community by providing subsidised free parking in the village centre for the next three to five years.

It must also prepare a village centre improvement plan, which includes providing grants to improve shopfronts and producing maps to Cheddar facilities.