AS a regular visitor to Moreton, I feel sad the landscape of this lovely market town would be marred by Sainsbury's and would destroy the feel and dynamics of the town.

Surely there are enough grocery outlets in the town with Budgens, Tesco Express and the Co-op along with the many independent retailers that support the town and a Tesco supermarket only four miles up the road.

Small shops are already struggling and closing down due to the recession and supermarkets monopolising markets and it is certain that many more would close in Moreton if Sainsbury's got a foothold.

The proposed location is a greenfield site and would act as a 'gatekeeper' to visitors and is too remote from the town centre and would not create additional visitors to the town and it's shops. Tourists do not come to Moreton in Marsh to see empty shops and visit Sainsbury's and see it become like any other town in the country.

This is one of the last remaining true Cotswold market towns and the arrival of Sainsbury's would be the demise of it.

Traffic is already congested through the centre of the town with regular queues and this would be a real problem, especially in the height of summer.

The site is opposite the new hospital where the road has been narrowed and there are several junctions in the immediate vicinity where it is already difficult to exit on to the main Fosse Way. This would set a dangerous planning precedent as it is outside the settlement boundary and would lead to further development spoiling this valuable Cotswold landscape.

We are also aware from family in the area that the houses backing on to this land were badly affected by flooding in 2007 and have been subject to further flooding in recent months and tarmacking over greenfield, agricultural land will only exacerbate this regardless of what flood alleviation measures they propose.

RICHARD CHADWICK Preston