ARGUMENTS over whether Maidstone needs a new Tesco superstore are likely to be dominated by traffic issues.

The main concerns expressed at a public exhibition held by Tesco into its plans to build a new superstore off Loose Road centred round possible traffic congestion.

Several hundred people attended the exhibition which ran for three days at the proposed development site behind the Kent Fire Brigade Training Centre. While views for and against the proposal were split, the reasons why it shouldn't go ahead centred on traffic issues.

Tesco said this week that it did not believe the new store would make traffic congestion any worse in the area. A spokesman said: "I think it's fair to say that there were views expressed both for and against the proposal at the exhibition. Opinion was divided.

"A range of issues were raised. Traffic along Loose Road was the issue that came up on many occasions and I think that was the principal issue.

"We will give careful consideration to all the views expressed to us. Clearly we have got to spend time looking at those issues and seeing how we can deal them."

People also raised concerns at the exhibition about the possible creation of traffic congestion along nearby Cripple Street.

Tesco wants to build a new store in Loose Road and downgrade its current store in Tovil, leaving room for some housing development on the site. The spokesman added: "We have done a lot of work to accompany our planning application and on the basis of the research we have carried out we do not believe the store will make the current traffic situation any worse."

Bosses at Kent Ambulance Trust and Kent Fire Brigade, who have stations on either side of the proposed development, said they were taking a close look at the plan before making any comment.