Councillors at Sheffield Council's City Centre, South and East Planning and Highways Area Board agreed by a narrow margin of five to four to allow the shopping giant to use the former car showroom on the corner of Abbeydale Road and Bedale Road.

The store, near the old Abbeydale cinema and Heeley Baths, will be open from 7am to 11pm daily with servicing between 8am and 6pm every day.

Permission came despite dozens of letters of objection and two petitions with more than 1,100 names.

Shopkeepers in other areas of the city where Tesco Express stores have opened reported a downturn in trade. Small independent traders on Abbeydale Road fear the same could happen there.

One shopkeeper told the meeting the impact on local shops would be dramatic and said: "It wouldn't add to competition, it would kill competition."

But council officers said many of the stores in the vicinity were either ethnic food shops or specialist shops which sell product lines Tesco does not tend to compete with.

An agent for Tescos argued the plan would also bring the vacant, unslightly building back to use.

Coun Alan Whitehouse said: "These may be small Tescos but they are like the tip of the iceberg. There is this huge thing behind it.

"Tescos have a lot of large lorries that have to park and I think it is a traffic hazard so I am voting against it on traffic grounds."

But Coun Peter Price said: "I don't think there are planning reasons for turning this down. It is a shabby area and this will improve it. If there is not a need for another Tesco then it will flop. It will work if there is a need."



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