There is no mistaking the fact that the proposed new Sainsbury's store at Westfield is big. Midsomer Norton, Radstock and District Chamber of Commerce is worried that many people have just not appreciated its size. It is difficult for most people to grasp just how big it is – the Chamber believes that the proposed store will be almost six times the size of the existing supermarket at The Hollies, Midsomer Norton (95,000 sq. ft compared with 17,000 sq. ft). If approved by B&NES planners, it would have a massive impact, not just on Midsomer Norton and Radstock, but on every retailer in a radius as far away as Frome, the Chamber believes.

The impact will be increased by the fact that the proposal being put forward by Sainsbury's is NOT simply about selling food. Of the proposed 95,000 sq. ft store, 55,000 sq. ft will be the net retail space, with 20,000 square feet of this being devoted to non-food goods – most of which is already being sold by traditional High Street retailers such as Casswells and this is their core business, their life-line, the Chamber asserts.

If you took the existing Midsomer Norton Sainsbury's floor space and increased it by a third – that is the size of the area selling non-food goods which will decimate local retailers. Sainsbury's would be able to sell everything from paint and paper to fridges and clothes.

It is this sort of development which has been killing independent businesses and High Streets all around the country and which people are increasingly waking up to, although in most cases it is too late.

Locally, Paulton's shopping area was devastated when Tesco's opened. Midsomer Norton suffered too, but until now has managed, just, to retain most of its non-food independents.

"Frankly, if Sainsbury's are granted planning consent for their supermarket, it will spell the end of Midsomer Norton High Street and Radstock's town centre as we know it. What is even sadder is that most people probably won't realise until it is too late and the independents have gone. In the middle of a recession with retail sales at best flat – what other result could there be with such a massive pull on footfall locally from our 'traditional town centres'.

"Visit Shepton Mallet and you can see what will happen here if this development is allowed," said Jon Plenty, Retail Director, Midsomer Norton and Radstock Chamber of Commerce.

Certainly this is why, in the past, the Midsomer Norton and Radstock Chamber of Commerce and other groups have lobbied B&NES so hard to fight Tesco's expansion plans and have tried to ensure that any supermarket expansion or new supermarket sits alongside and complements the existing Midsomer Norton town centre, as the new proposed South Road supermarket development could.

The Chamber asks readers to consider just how big 95,000 square feet is. The minimum size of a football pitch is 50 yards x 100 yards or 150 feet x 300 feet = 45,000 sq. ft. Sainsbury's proposed building at 95,000 sq. ft is bigger than two football pitches.

B&NES Council planners are still considering comments on the application, both in support of it and in opposition to the planned giant supermarket. Comments can be made in writing, or via the Council's planning website until Monday, 11th February.

The planning reference is: 12/05418/FUL and is described as St Peter's Factory, Wells Road, Westfield, Radstock, Bath and North East Somerset BA3 3UP with permission being sought for the foodstore and petrol filling station.

B&NES Council has set itself a target of deciding the application by 10th April. For a major application which is in conflict with B&NES long-term plans for the area (which sees the site remaining as employment land not becoming retail), it is a pretty tight timetable.

Planning applications of this type generally come with sizeable Section 106 payments. Previously, the Tesco store produced significant payments for the benefit of Midsomer Norton which was perceived to be most at risk from the effects of the store. The fact that the store was located in Paulton did not bring any cash benefits to that Parish. The same could happen at Westfield. The Parish of Westfield could get all the disadvantages of the store and none of the compensatory cash benefits because they were all allocated to Midsomer Norton.

The project will also require considerable highway works, including the introduction of turning restrictions at Charlton Road junction with the A367 Fosseway. How this will play out during the busy school start–finish times and in the evening rush hour could be a problem.