A BID by clothing retailer Matalan to open a warehouse store in Bishop Auckland could fall at the first hurdle.

Planners say the 35,000sq ft development could damage existing businesses.

Matalan wants to build the store along with 146 car parking spaces at the former BBH Windings site in South Church Road, on the outskirts of the town centre, opposite the recently built Asda superstore.

Outline plans for the development will be discussed at a meeting of Wear Valley District Council's development control committee next Thursday evening at the Civic Centre, Crook.

It is expected that councillors will refuse the development on the recommendation of planning officers who said that the town centre was "fragile and could be vulnerable to any further decline in comparison goods shopping".

Ken Wilson, town centre manager, has told the council that giving the scheme the go-ahead would spell disaster for the clothes shops already there.

He said that clothing store bosses had complained about a falling sales since Asda moved from the Newgate Centre, in November, to open its superstore.

Planners have said the Matalan store would not be accessible by public transport and would attract mostly car-borne trade.They also said suggestions that shoppers would walk into the town centre after visiting the new store was unlikely.

Traders in the town said shoppers have stayed away from Newgate Street since the Adsa store opened.

Margaret Ellis, of the chamber of trade, said: "We are very concerned. The George range at Asda has already taken business from existing shops. This would make it even more difficult."

Businesses have called an emergency meeting for 6.30pm on Monday, in the Queens Head Hotel, in the market place, to discuss how they can turn things around and put the town back on the map as a place to shop.