TESCO has been defeated once again after its new designs for a Broken Cross store were rejected by MBC.

The supermarket giant’s original plans – for a Tesco Express outlet on the former J and P Rose garage site – were rejected on design grounds in March, and the multinational found its second bite of the cherry just as bitter last week.

At the meeting of Macclesfield Borough Council Planning Sub Committee, councillors unanimously rejected the scheme once more, again on grounds of building design and road safety.

Cheshire County Highways officers did not lodge any objection to Tesco’s plans, and this was met with dismay by MBC’s decision-makers who saw glaring traffic issues with a new supermarket.

Coun Ainsley Arnold said: "When the application was last before the committee, I was staggered to see that the county highways department raised no concerns about a convenience store at this particular site. I’m surprised that Tesco don’t want to divert the Broken Cross roundabout to make it closer to the store! We should be encouraging vibrancy and local shops and a retail giant like this will create more problems with traffic.  I was ward councillor in the area 13 years ago and we had tremendous problems with traffic at this junction, and there is much more traffic now than back then."

Coun Alift Harewood, who has lived in the Broken Cross area for 30 years, added: "I wish the county (highways) engineers would have another look at this site. We already have a dangerous site there, with three roads off the top of Gawsworth Road, and with the new children’s centre being built nearby, this really needs consideration."

Coun Walter Wright said he agreed with Coun Arnold and added: "I’ve used the Broken Cross junction for 70 years; I was coming down there before the war in a Morris Eight! The junction has caused me concern for some time. I just can’t see how highways can give it a clean bill of health."

Mr Shaun Taylor, of GL Hearn, who represented Tesco, said the company had redesigned its store with a landscaped strip, trees and stone setts, and moved the cash machine to the customer entrance to "reduce unauthorised parking" and "improve local amenity".