NEWTON Abbot Chamber of Trade, exasperated by the latest delay to the multi-million pound Wolborough Street redevelopment scheme, has turned its fury on Asda.

'The town deserves better,' said Stella Watson, chairman of the chamber on Wednesday. 'The mood of the chamber is moving towards saying goodbye to Asda.'

She pointed out to the supermarket group – owned by Wall-Mart – that it was not 'the only pebble on the beach', and revealed that Tesco had expressed an interest in moving to the site with an in-town store.

Mrs Watson labelled the Ogwell end of Newton Abbot 'derelict and unkempt' and criticised the fact that firms had to move from the area against their will.

She declined to blame Teignbridge Council for the problems and put the blame fairly and squarely at the doors of Asda and ASM Properties, the developers.

'The time has come to say "enough is simply enough",' said Mrs Watson.

She added that it was 'deeply disturbing' that the information was only in the public domain as the result of the leak of a confidential letter.

'The chamber only knows what it's read. It's time for a fresh start, a new scheme.'

But Asda insisted that although the original scheme has been torpedoed by rising costs, a mark two development will emerge which could still be built by the end of 2005.

Simon Hoare, a consultant for Asda, whose store forms the centrepiece of the redevelopment, insisted this week that the firm was 100 per cent committed to Newton Abbot.

The much-delayed scheme seemed to be in trouble at the end of last year, when it was announced that ASM wanted social housing at Bradley Lane removed from the plan – a move that was opposed by both Teignbridge District and Newton Abbot Town Councils.

At the end of last week news leaked that a secret meeting had taken place between the developers, Asda and Teignbridge.

The cost problems – so severe that the scheme was no longer viable – were aired and representatives of the council were asked if they wanted the developers to come up with an alternative scheme, or to go away and never darken their doors again, Mr Hoare said.

'Although there was an element of disappointment, the answer came back very clearly – "we don't want you to go away",' said Mr Hoare, who explained that the new plans would be produced in a tri-partite way.

ASM and Asda were now working on new proposals and a fresh meeting with planning officials was scheduled for today.

A new planning application would be ready for consideration as soon as possible, Mr Hoare said.

'It will be different,' he admitted, but insisted it would be 'a presumption' to say the scheme was to be scaled down.

Asda and ASM had been preparing the scheme for two-and-a-half years, while Asda had spent many millions of pounds in terms of putting land assembly together.

The cost concerns are thought principally to centre around the construction of the link road and the diversion of the services.

Howard Davis, chief executive of Teignbridge Council, issued a statement which said: 'We remain totally committed to working with our partners towards achieving a quality development for Wolborough Street.

'Recent financial developments have impacted on the proposed scheme such that a suitable alternative to the original design is now required.

'We now await ASM's revised proposals, and when they are received, we will need to ensure they represent a suitable alternative.

'Since significant changes to the original plan will require planning permission and associated planning consultation, we could possibly be looking at a slightly later work period.

'However, if the revised plan goes ahead without serious objection, it is still possible that the Asda store could open in 2005 as originally scheduled.'

p TEIGNBRIDGE Council's standards committee is to refer the issue of the leaked confidential letter to the Standards Board of England.

Committee member Mike Selby-Heard said that the officer or councillor who leaked the letter to the press should be 'booted out immediately'.

'I look severely on the case,' he said. 'A letter clearly marked "confidential" should remain confidential.'

Teignbridge chairman Cllr Ken Lewis said that the council had no investigative powers of its own, and had no option but to call upon the board's 'ethical' investigators. The Standards Board was set up last year to monitor the new Code of Conduct for councillors across the country.