SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has launched an appeal after the city council refused plans for a new store in Oxford.

It wants to build a new Express Store on the site of the boarded-up Friar pub in Old Marston Road, Marston.

But in September, Oxford City Council’s north east area committee dismissed the proposal over concerns about traffic and parking.

And councillors questioned whether the area needed another supermarket.

Mick Haines, who led the campaign against the store last time, said: “I am shocked that Tesco have come back again. I honestly thought they would give up this time.

“I guess the battle has to begin all over again.”

Mr Haines gathered more than 800 signatures against the Tesco store earlier this year.

It was the second time Tesco had been turned down, after previous plans were refused in April 2009.

Mr Haines said: “It is just not something people want here and I thought we had made that clear.

“We are happy with the shops we have, and we don’t want Tesco coming into Marston and threatening their survival.”

Tesco has recently opened new stores in Magdalen Street and St Aldate’s and is also planning a shop on the site of the boarded-up Fox and Hounds pub in Abingdon Road.

The appeal for the Marston site is now being considered and a decision will be made by December 12.

Tesco spokesman Michael Kissman said the firm’s Tesco Express store would create about 20 jobs.

He said: “We have lodged an appeal as part of the democratic planning process and that will allow all the issues to be looked at in detail.

“We have got a scheme that will create a number of jobs and bring a site back into use and that can only be a positive thing.”

He added: “We believe when we open stores we bring more people back to High Streets and communities to shop.

“It’s understandable that people have questions about changes in their community, but when we open we have seen an increase in trade not just for us but often for other businesses near us as well.

“We are confident it will be a busy and popular store because the people we have spoken to locally have told us they want it.”