Giant retailer Tesco is to appeal Mole Valley Council’s decision to refuse its planning application to build a store in Ashtead, it has emerged today.

Tesco was refused permission to build the store by a nail-biting one vote, after campaigners collected thousands of signatures against it.

The retail giant’s planning application was turned down by eight votes to seven at Mole Valley Council’s development control committee meeting on February 3 - even though council officers had recommended it for approval.

Tesco's original plan to build a 1,115 sq m store provoked fury among residents and shopkeepers and was rejected by council planners.

Tesco then put forward a smaller scheme for the village, and temporarily suspended its appeal against Mole Valley’s decision to throw out its first plans.

Eoin Dardis, spokesman for Tesco, said: “We are considering all our options on this site of which an appeal is one avenue open to us.

"We intend to appeal for a number of reasons, not least because we believe that our application was a robust one and will stand up well to an inspector’s scrutiny.

“It was also supported by the Ashtead Village Traders Association who believed that it would be to the village centre’s advantage.

“We will, at the same time, continue liaising with members, traders and residents regarding our proposals for a store in Ashtead.”

The size of the newly rejected development had been reduced by a third and was designed specifically for Ashtead - rather than following Tesco’s “off-the-peg” store designs. The car park was also reduced from 211 spaces to 181.

Now Tesco’s appeal will go to a government planning inspector along with the first plans which were rejected last year.