Villagers in Bovingdon who have fought Tesco’s plans for a new store, may have a new battle on their hands following revelations at a parish council meeting.

The supermarket giant has proposed to build a Tesco Express and eight flats on the corner of Chesham Road and High Street, on the site of a former car showroom and garage.

Dacorum Borough Council’s development control committee had unanimously rejected these plans in June this year, due to the “design” of the store and flats, deeming they were not in keeping with the appearance of the village and because of potential traffic problems.

Tesco has since launched an appeal and a public inquiry is set to be held on Wednesday, November 25, at Memorial Hall in Bovingdon.

But at a parish council meeting on Monday it was revealed that Dacorum Borough Council would no longer refuse Tesco’s plans based on traffic arguments.

However, this has sparked fears among residents that Tesco will win the appeal, after the supermarket recently won permission for a store in Croxley Green on similar grounds.

Residents who had gathered at the meeting to hear the evidence and progress of the residents’ association, a group which has fought to stop Tesco building on the site, were informed of Dacorum’s decision, but were not provided with an explanation.

Dacorum councillor and chairman of the planning and partnerships panel Richard Roberts was absent when the issue of Tesco arose on the parish council’s agenda.

He arrived at the meeting some time after residents had left, but refused to comment when questioned by the parish council chairman, Tony Trigg, why traffic was no longer being pushed as a reason for Tesco not to build on the site.

When the Watford Observer questioned him after the meeting Councillor Roberts said it would not be “fair to comment prior to the hearing”.

Sue Miller, who leads the residents’ association, said: “We can’t speculate on the borough council’s reasons not to object on 'traffic’.

“However we have grave concerns on the detrimental effect the increased traffic congestion generated by the proposed store will have on our village and the likelihood of discouraging pedestrians.

Requests for a comment from Dacorum Borough Council have so far been unanswered.