WIRRAL councillors will visit the site of a controversial new Tesco before making a ruling, it has been decided.

The borough’s planning committee last night voted unanimously to carry out a site visit before deciding whether to give the retail giant the green light to open in Wallasey Village.

If approved, the proposals would see Tesco creating a new store, thought to be a Tesco Express, at the former Classic Cars garage site.

However the application was met with strong opposition as more than 1,000 residents signed a petition to stop the supermarket chain’s arrival while 19 individual letters were sent to Wirral Council.

Among the reasons for fighting the plans were concerns over car parking, increased traffic and noisy deliveries.

And now councillors are expected to visit the site before announcing their decision next month.

Councillor Stuart Kelly, Lib Dem spokesman for the planning committee, said: “I want to have a look at residents’ objections again and look at the issues in detail.

“We will be looking at the proximity of the site to the nearby school and how lorries would get in and out. We will also be considering how the increased traffic could affect the area.”

Following a story on our website ahead of the meeting, our readers showed mixed opinions over whether or not the new Tesco would be an asset to Wallasey Village.

One reader wrote: “SAY NO TO TESCO TOWNS! This is close to the store in Bidston.” And another said: “The residents can rest assured that the council will take not a blind bit of notice of the objections, they will allow it and in so doing there now becomes another outlet for the sale of booze.”

However others said the development would bring jobs to the area, with one reader posting on our Facebook page: “I say 'do it'. It will provide the area with a much-needed job.” And another commented that the store would be an improvement on the current derelict state of the site.