A CONTROVERSIAL supermarket extension has been given the go-ahead by planners provoking a mixed reaction from residents.

The extension to Sainsbury's in Maxwell Road, Beaconsfield, will mean a 46 per cent increase in the size of the store plus a decked car-park extension.

South Bucks District Council's planning and transportation committee agreed to an amended proposal which takes into account concerns raised by residents relating to traffic congestion.

Derek Morris, of Garvin Avenue, Beaconsfield, whose house backs onto the store, said he was bitterly disappointed with the council's decision.

"I think we were fighting a lost cause. I'm very disappointed in the district council. They had already made up their minds.

"The decking car parking could cause a security problem and will overlook my garden. Ninety nine per cent of people in my road are against this."

The proposals do have their supporters, including a group of elderly people from The Hollies, Maxwell Road, who believe wider aisles will help older customers to keep their independence.

Catherine Munday, a sheltered housing resident, wrote to Beaconsfield Town Council and South Bucks District Council in support of the plans.

She said: "We are very pleased with the decision here at The Hollies. It's good for Beaconsfield, it makes shopping easier and is a place to meet. We cannot still live in the 1920s or 1930s."

Deputy town mayor Graham Smith said: "We raised the objections of nearby residents and we feel the amended application will be bonus to the town. The support is for Sainsbury's because without it the town centre would suffer.

"We are into conservation not preservation. We are not living in a museum."

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "The approval of the plans follows extensive input from our own and the council's technical consultants to ensure that we produce a quality scheme that would not adversely impact on our neighbours."

A spokesman for South Bucks District Council said: "Officers only make recommendations based on planning merit. Decisions are taken through the normal democratic process."