Sainsbury’s delivered the clearest possible message tonight they are to battle on with a store in Whittlesey.

The company said it has submitted fresh plans to Fenland District Council after being unable to secure the previous agreed access.

But the fact the store is pressing ahead with an amended plan is a significant ‘statement’ of intent.

Dave Lazenby, Sainsbury’s town planning manager, is expected to write to Whittlesey councillors to update them on their proposals.

Explaining the legal challenges faced by Sainsbury’s, he will also point out that in the interim retailing has shifted, and very suddenly.

“As you are probably aware, shopping habits in the food retail market have changed considerably since the submission of the original planning application,” he will tell councillors. “Some minor amendments have therefore been made to the scheme

within the planning application to reflect our changed retail format.”

Those changes will include two extra pumps for the petrol station, bringing the total to six and an increase in the number of car parking spaces from 386 to 398.

There will also be a greater number of concessions within the store “to increase the range of services available to customers”.

And the store hoped for approval for the new access – a “variation to the layout of the roundabout at the north-west corner of the site, which links the proposed store to Eastrea Road”.