FEARS proposals to expand a supermarket could threaten town centre trade and exacerbate conditions in the economic downturn have been raised.

Sainsbury’s have submitted plans to expand their Darlington store in Victoria Road to include a single storey decked car park with barrier system, a new 12-bay petrol station, a ground floor expansion and mezzanine first floor.

If plans are approved, the expansion would create an extra 4,665 sqm of floor space for the store, with sales space increasing by 1,700 sqm as well as 42 extra car parking spaces.

Changes to access points on to Victoria Road are also proposed, with a separate entrance and exit point onto the ring road.

The store would be extended to the north and west, with a new glass entrance created on the west side with lifts and stairs to the first floor. Feature towers would also be added to the store.

A six-pump petrol station would be created to the north of the store, with a one-way traffic system created with an entrance point at the existing access point. The proposed exit point is between the proposed petrol station and a block of flats which was built on the site of the store’s old petrol station.

The plans state proposed opening hours for the petrol station would be half an hour before the store opens and closes - 6.30am to 11.30pm, Mondays to Fridays, 6.30am to 10.30pm on Saturdays and 8am to 4pm on Sundays.

The decked car park would be to the west of the store, directly in front of the new entrance.

Sainsbury’s wants to expand the store to allow it to sell more clothing, books, CDs and DVDs, small electrical goods and home wares.

Councillor Cyndi Hughes has told The Darlington and Stockton Times more than 25 residents had contacted her with concerns about the proposals.

“It is absolutely massive,” she said. “Residents are concerned about the size of the car park, particularly as the store is in a conservation area.

“I am also concerned that the petrol station is very close to the flats.

“Some of the things the store could be selling may be in direct competition with town centre businesses, which is concerning.”

She added that residents should view the plans at the town hall and contact Darlington Borough Council’s planning department if they wished to comment.

A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said the supermarket had consukted the local community and 86 per cent of people returning feedback forms were in favour of the plans.

She added: “The Sainsbury’s store is at a lower level than surrounding roads and the car park deck is designed, to take account of this, with extensive screening and landscaping also planned.”