Supermarket giant Tesco has drastically cut its plans for a major new store.
The firm is behind a retail park development on the edge of Kirkby town centre which was set to be dominated by a superstore measuring 14,000 sq m.
Plans for the site were approved in March 2011, with councillors told the £200m scheme would create an estimated 800 jobs.
But an amended masterplan, drawn up on behalf of Tesco and seen by the ECHO, shows a much smaller, 8,218 sq m store.
The development’s overall boundary would remain the same, prompting fears it could create more empty shops unless large numbers of other retailers can be encouraged to sign up.
John Fleming, chair of Kirkby Residents’ Association, said the store’s reduced size also meant there was no need for it to be built outside the existing town centre.
He added: “This could fit comfortably inside Kirkby, but it seems clear they want to make sure it is visible from the motorway. People will come in from the motorway, do their shopping and then head off.
“That’s not doing Kirkby any good – in fact it will kill the town centre. There is no reason at all for a store of this size not to be built in Kirkby itself.”
Mr Fleming said he feared the increase in the site’s reliance on firms taking on retail units would leave it more exposed to problems in the wider economy.
He added: “At the public inquiry (on the original plans) there was not one name put forward as a company which would take on a site on the retail park. We don’t want to see empty shops on the retail park while the town centre is also suffering.”
The proposals followed the failure of the Destination Kirkby scheme, which had included controversial plans for a new stadium for Everton FC.
A Tesco spokesman said: “We’ve decided to apply to reduce the size of our store because of changing customer shopping habits, in particular the rise of online shopping for a lot of larger items. The store will still provide a huge range of products.
“We’ve had positive discussions with a range of potential tenants for the wider development, and we’re confident it will be a success.”
A Knowsley council spokesman said: "The size of the overall retail development in Kirkby has not changed.
"A large new Tesco store will now focus on its business as a food retailer, with the other retail units on the site selling other goods.
"This is great news for customers and businesses alike, as it ensures a healthy mix of retail in the new town centre.”
