Tesco has weighed into the dispute over Lidl's plans to build a new supermarket in Ashby by objecting to the budget store's Resolution Road scheme - saying it is 'fundamentally unsuitable'.

If planning permission is granted, Lidl would demolish the Ashfield House building and set up next door to Tesco, and close to Aldi, B&M and M&S in the area off Nottingham Road.

But now Tesco has made its views known for the first time in a letter to North West Leicestershire District Council - and called for the application to be refused.

London-based Martin Robeson Planning Practice, acting for Tesco, has listed a number of objections to the proposed Lidl development.

It accuses Lidl of using the wrong class E in the application, which 'erroneously seeks to justify the acceptability of retail development on this site'.

Tesco adds that current legislation means 'no other use of the existing office building is permitted'

The Tesco Extra store in Ashby would be next door to the new Lidl. Photo: Instantstreetview.com

The letter highlights three areas which Tesco has issues with.

Tesco believes Lidl has not throughly explored the possibility of locating the site on the 'Local Centre' area set out by the Money Hill Masterplan, as part of the new housing development between Nottingham Road and the A511 Ashby by-pass.

It also claims that there is a 'breach of the development plan's requirement to retain Primary employment areas for specifically defined employment generating uses'.

The District Council has already questioned whether the Ashfield House building could continue to be used as office space, which was its original purpose.

The letter adds that Tesco has been operating from its current site for 28 years.

It says: "We act on behalf of Tesco stores in respect of this application.

An artist's impression of how the new Lidl store in Ashby would look. Image by Lidl

"Our client trades from an Extra Store on Resolution Road. The store was the subject of considerable investment both when it opened in 1996, and when it was extended in 2012.

"Tesco continues to invest in Ashby de la Zouch today."

The letter then gives a detailed list of Tesco's objections.

It adds: "There is irrefutable conflict with the local plan arising from the site, designation for retention as a primary employment area, arising from the failure to meet the important relevant criteria.

"The applicant's sequential assessment of alternative sites has failed to thoroughly consider the potentially suitable and possibly available, identify the Local Centre opportunity within the approved Money Hill Master Plan, in preference to a site that is fundamentally unsuitable

"Matters concerning the use of classes order have been misapplied. The site designation for employment use is not altered by the 2020 amendments to the Use Classes Order.

"Furthermore, no other use of the existing office building is permitted as per the condition on the operative planning permission.

"The applicant cannot therefore benefit from any flexibility provided by the UCO in re-using, the existing building or asserting that a fallback position could exist .

"For all the above reasons, permission should be refused."

Local councillors have raised fears over the extra traffic congestion the planned supermarket would cause at an already busy junction.

In January, Lidl strengthened its claims to build a new supermarket in Ashby by saying 'the loss of employment land is justifiable in this instance'.

Rapleys, the agent acting for Lidl, responded to North West Leicestershire District Council questioning if the proposed development meets planning policy requirements.