THE biggest planning application in Chipping Sodbury for decades has divided the town council.

At a meeting in the town hall which convened early to give residents a chance to ask more questions, councillors opted for a secret ballot to vote on plans for a Waitrose supermarket and 190 houses on the Barnhill Quarry site. They returned a split vote with five in favour and five against.

Cllr Paul Jobbins said: "The only positive aspect of this is the additional walkway to the High Street. That will bring customers to the street, otherwise it will suck people away from the street."

But Cllr John Allard said the development would bring ‘valuable investment’ to the area.

"Traders in the street are fairly worried about the economic situation and I think this will bring quite a lot of business to the street," he said.

Councillors agreed the main causes for concern were the impact on High Street trade, increased traffic, parking in the town and flooding as land around St John’s Way has been designated a flood plain.

Following a meeting in August which was attended by 150 people, Sodbury Town Council balloted all 2,286 households in Chipping Sodbury.

A total of 885 responses were received and 435 people voted against the development while 393 were in favour and 57 were unsure.

Cllr Rod Gall said: "Our mandate is to support what the residents have said and whether it is one or two per cent the vote was a majority no."

Most residents and traders at the meeting spoke against the plans.

Bob Bryant, who runs Cotswold Vintners, said: "I am extremely worried about this and I am also very angry.

"It has been in the pipeline for three years and still we do not know what is happening with the car park.

"This could possibly have a catastrophic effect on High Street traders and residents so it is more than irritating that we can’t find out anything about it."

Town mayor Cllr Paul Whittle said the future of Wickwar Road car park, next to the site of the proposed Waitrose supermarket, was under legal negotiations and the town council could make no further comment.

Ken Wills, of St John’s Way, said: "It seems to me the flooding issue is being glossed over. We have had flooding in St John’s Way recently and only in February, I received a letter from the Environment Agency informing me I now live on a flood plain."

Len Morley, of Brook Street, added: "If the Waitrose car park is left open after they close boy racers will go in there and all hell will be let loose."

The plans are being considered by South Gloucestershire Council and will be decided by a development control committee in December or January.