A SUPERMARKET which is expanding has been given the go ahead to take over a council owned car park to despite objections from local groups.

Plans have been submitted by Lidl retail store to extend one of it's food stores, situated on Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe, at Peel Street pay and display car park, which contains 15 car parking spaces and nine of which will be used for staff.

The matter was debated by Ribble Valley councillors at the council's most recent planning and development meeting on Thursday.

At the meeting, planning officers said the applicant wanted to remove a condition in which the car park would be made available for residents to park there outside of store hours.

In defence of the revised changes to the application, the Lidl spokesman said: "The application we have submitted is part of the store's strategic review of the retail business. It will enable to us to create an in-store bakery.

"The loss of car parking spaces will not have a detrimental impact on the road network.

"We cannot accept the highway officer's proposal to make the store car park available for public use outside of opening hours because we want to take care of the car park and we fear it could be at risk of harm from anti-social behaviour in the area."

A number of councillors at the meeting said they were unhappy about the changes made to the application.

Cllr Richard Sherras, who is member of the council's planning committee, said: "I'm not happy about the late changes made to the application.

"If the site offers to take over the car park and to extend the premises it should be prepared to sort out the insurance liability."

Cllr Ian Brown, who is also a member of the council's planning committee, said: "I find this akin to selling off the family silver.

"I'm even less in favour of it than I was before the amendments were made."

More than 30 letters of objection had been sent to Ribble Valley Council against the proposed plans, including an additional letter from Clitheroe Civic Society.

Residents raised objections on the grounds that the loss of car parking would lead to increased demand for on-street parking in an area where there is a lack of parking provision.