THE development of an edge-of-town supermarket could threaten the sustainability of many shops in Ulverston, says Furness MP John Woodcock.

He has written to South Lakeland District Council outlining his concerns over the plan to build a Sainsbury’s store and petrol station on land south of the A590.

In the letter, he says a supermarket on this site would also deter other retailers from setting up.

He points out that the proposed supermarket is on land designated for light industrial use in the SLDC Land Allocations Development Plan.

“If granted, it would remove the potential for light manufacturing, and new investment opportunities associated with the expansion of GlaxoSmithKline, and the growth of the low carbon lighting cluster in the area,” he says.

Mr Woodcock says he also has major concerns about traffic flow on the A590.