HEATED debate but little progress occured at a meeting between residents of The Pippin and Sainsbury's over its Calne store extension plans last week.

Residents are angry over the plans, which they claim will encroach on their back gardens.

However, Sainsbury's has said it will try to incorporate some of the points made in the meeting into its final plans for the extension.

Around 40 people attended with representatives from county, district and town councils.

Michael Childs, Chairman of a Pippin Residents' Group, said he was glad Sainsbury's called the public meeting.

"We are happy they have met with us. It's a shame it took too long and I do believe they tried to conceal the application with the timing of it in two peak holidays.

"I am hoping this is the first meeting. We (the residents) certainly need to consolidate what we know now and use it to go forward constructively."

Mr Childs said personally he still felt he did not want the store to expand.

"From my own personal point of view, as a householder, I don't want the store to go ahead. It's overbearing."

Mr Childs said traffic to the area would also be a problem. "It's already congested and to make it bigger will only exacerbate that.

"This side of The Pippin sees the store already and it's about to jump over the fences metaphorically."

Plans show the wall of the extension 14.9-metres from houses but only 3.9-metres from back gardens.

At the meeting, planning consultant David Lowin from White, Young and Green said a bigger store would offer more goods for the people of Calne.

The public also raised concerns about a pathway that is being rerouted between their houses and the store, which they claim has caused problems in the past. They hope Sainsbury's will be able to look after the path with CCTV cameras.

A spokesperson from Sainsbury's said of the meeting: "The suggestions that were raised will be seriously considered and if modifications can be made to accommodate residents' wishes, Sainsbury's will take these into account."

Town and district councillor Tom Briggs said what he did not understand were the changes in the applications.

He said: "I think they (Sainsbury's) resolved the problem with Cop Croft which was the main issue and I don't see a problem with the Cop Croft side extension but I don't see why they need to extend it with the back extension."