Tesco has submitted an appeal to the Government’s planning inspectorate in a bid to overturn a rejected application to build a controversial new store in Basingstoke.

In July, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s development control committee threw out the supermarket giant’s application to build a new 63,000sq ft store on the former Smiths Industries site, in Harrow Way.

On Tuesday, the borough council confirmed that an appeal had been lodged against the refusal.

Mike Townsend, borough council planning development manager, said: “The Tesco appeal has been formally registered by the Planning Inspectorate.

“The council will be sending out consultations to all those who made representations during the application stage to advise that the appeal has been registered and how they can become involved.”

Mark Buttress, who owns Jaybee’s Convenience Store, in Kings Furlong, said he was “disappointed” by Tesco’s decision to appeal.

Mr Buttress campaigned against the new store plans and led a petition which gathered more than 1,500 signatures objecting to the proposal.

“We will fight them again,” he said. “We will have to show the inspector why the council, who represent the people of Basingstoke, rejected it in the first place.”

But Tesco said the store’s plans have been popular with residents. A Tesco spokesperson said: “Our proposed store in Basingstoke continues to attract huge levels of support from local residents and businesses. The store will create over 200 jobs and will give residents of Winchester Road a great deal more choice and range of products.”

Members of the 15-strong development control committee turned down the initial application amid fears that it would harm the business of existing shops. There were also concerns about £4.2million-worth of highway improvements to the Brighton Hill Roundabout that Tesco said it would fund.

Tesco had planned to fill in the underpasses, and replace them with six, overground pedestrian crossings and sets of traffic lights.

Under the road proposals, the A30 was also to be extended across the middle of the roundabout, while access to the proposed store would have been from The Harrow Way.