Huge Tesco superstore given the thumbs down .

A controversial plan for a massive Tesco superstore was rejected by Basingstoke town planners last week.

The 63,000 sq ft store on the former Smiths Industries site on Harrow Way had been earmarked for approval by officers.

At a packed development control committee, members of the 15-strong panel rejected the proposals.

Tesco has since said it is considering whether to appeal the decision.

Tesco’s regional corporate affairs manager Simon Petar said in a statement: “We are naturally disappointed with the decision of the planning committee. This was an extremely popular scheme with retailers and residents. We will wait until the official decision notices from the council have arrived before we discuss our next steps.”

At the meeting, councillors expressed concerns that the new superstore would harm existing shops.

Further plans from Tesco to revamp the Brighton Hill roundabout were criticised for lacking sufficient detail.

There were also concerns about the impact proposed changes to the underpasses at Brighton Hill roundabout would have on pedestrians and cyclists.

The company has said it would fill in the underpasses and replace them with six pedestrian crossings.

Campaigner Mark Buttress, who runs Jaybee’s Convenience Store in Kings Furlong, has been fighting the plans since they  were announced in July last year.

He presented a petition against Tesco, which had gathered more than 1,300 signatures.

Speaking to the Observer, he said he feared he would be forced to close if the store was given the go ahead.

“In these current economic times things are tough,” he said.

With Tesco plonking a superstore where there are already four major supermarkets in the area - and then for Tesco to say this won’t affect anyone is a joke.

“The job creation would probably lead to more job losses. If you are going to take away trade from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison, and from the small local shops, then there is going to be severe casualties.”

But Grove ward councillor Ron Hussey warned that he expected the company to appeal the decision.

“It’s a bit early to start celebrating, Tesco could quite well go to appeal, and then we would have to see what the secretary of state says abut the issue." he said. “Councillors gave some very strong arguments, and so  did residents, but some of the arguments according to planning officers are not really very strong in planning terms. A lot of residents said we have too many supermarkets, and we don’t want it - that isn’t valid on planning grounds unfortunately. It’s more difficult than it first seems. So far it’s a very good result, but it’s only round one and there may well be a round two.”