Campaigners fighting plans for a new Tesco superstore in Hadleigh are set to find out next week if they have been successful.

The retail giant’s latest bid for permission to build on the former Brett Works site was due to be discussed by Babergh’s planning committee on July 4 but the meeting was delayed.

A new date has now been set for Wednesday, September 18 at the Guildhall Complex in Hadleigh, starting at 9.30am. Debate over the proposal is expected to be heated. During the past six months, the town’s chamber of commerce and lobby group ‘Hands Off Hadleigh’ have commissioned independent retail and traffic reports relating to the Tesco application.

Last night, Hands Off Hadleigh spokeswoman, Jan Byrne said Babergh had rejected an earlier application by Tesco on the grounds of design and conservation. She believes the information uncovered in the new independent studies will give councillors “even more reasons” to refuse the current application.

She said: “This is a full planning application and therefore all arguments must be heard and addressed even if they have been discussed before.

“We simply ask councillors now to use the expert arguments we have compiled to reject Tesco’s plans and protect what makes Hadleigh special.”

Hadleigh Chamber of Commerce chairman, Tony Addison said: “There simply isn’t sufficient money in residents’ pockets in the area for two new supermarkets to open without something giving and that will be the High Street, which is already suffering after Morrisons opened in January.

“The total ‘take’ required by Morrison’s and Tesco, including the High Street, would be £72m - but people in the Hadleigh area only spend £28m, which is a shortfall of £54m.”

It is not yet known if Babergh planning officers have recommended the application for approval. No-one from Tesco was available to comment on the forthcoming meeting.