PLANS for retail giant Tesco to build a convenience store in a Wirral town centre have been recommended for approval.

The go-ahead is expected to be given for the supermarket chain to open up in Moreton Cross, when the application goes before the planning commitee next Tuesday.

However, councillors will carry out a site visit next Monday after more than 2,500 people signed a petition against the store.

They will make their decision based on their findings at The Plough Inn site, in Hoylake Road.

The proposed plans include the demolition of the pub and the building of a Tesco Express store in its place.

But the application was met with objections from local traders who feared the arrival of the chain would force them to shut up shop and turn Moreton into a "ghost town".

They are worried that the new addition to their town will take business away from them and force them to shut up shop.

Stuart Beeston, who runs local florist Carousel Flowers, has been spearheading the campaign against Tesco and will be at the meeting next week to get his argument across.

Speaking at the last planning commitee meeting, where the decision was deferred for a site visit, he said: "There are already two Tesco stores within ten minutes of each other and we are becoming saturated with national chains. If they build an Express store here, we can say goodbye to our local shops. It will simply be a ghost town.

"Not only that, but the traffic would be horrendus on the roundabout. Moreton will become congested with people just driving their cars through to pop in into Tesco. And that is just not right."

Planning officers have recommended the application be given the green light, citing that the store will not "harm the vitality of Moreton town centre".