PLANS to build a retail park creating up to 260 full-time jobs at Cross Hands have been put on hold for a second time.

The move is the latest blow for the site which was heralded as becoming home to a major housing and retail development, but has been beset by numerous issues and rethinks during the past five years.

Site developer Conygar Cross Hands Ltd had proposed building ten retail units, including a food store, a pub and fast food outlets at the Cross Hands West site, originally earmarked for a Sainsbury’s superstore.

The latest application had been recommend for approval when it went before Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee today (Thursday) having previously been deferred in light of a legal challenge from Co-op, which has an outlet at the nearby Cross Hands Business Park.

An application to build a second shopping centre on the site of the Leekes car park, also at Cross Hands Business Park, which was also recommended for approval by county planners, was halted after a separate legal challenge was submitted by Conygar Cross Hands Ltd.

The council's head of planning, Llinos Quelch, said the latest challenge would require further scrutiny as it was based “on recent case law" established only days prior to the meeting.

Ms Quelch said the challenge ensured it was right that both applications should be deferred until a more in-depth assessment of the new laws could be made.

Retail giant Sainsbury’s had previously been granted permission to build a £60million superstore at the Cross Hands West site, but - following intense speculation – eventually pulled out of the deal claiming the project was no longer viable.