Plans for a massive new Tesco superstore on the outskirts of Glastonbury got the go-ahead this week, despite continued fears for the impact it would have on local businesses.

Mendip Planning Board members voted eleven to one in favour of the new development on the current site of Avalon Plastics at Beckery New Road, near the B & Q store.

This would mean Avalon Plastics could move next door to the Morlands Enterprise Park, securing the jobs of its 150 employees and allowing for further expansion and investment.

A desire to support Avalon Plastics and prevent it moving from the area played a large part in persuading Planning Board members to overturn the recommendation made by Mendip planners to refuse the application.

A previous submission for the land to be used for retail space had won council approval.

Representatives of small local businesses voiced their opposition at Wednesday's planning board meeting in Shepton Mallet, claiming the superstore would sound the death knell for High Street shops.

Tim Bates, who runs a greengrocers in Glastonbury town centre, described Tescos as "a corporate bully", and said a number of small shops, including his own, would go to the wall if the superstore came to town.

But Keith Butler, managing director of Avalon Plastics, described the impact it would have on his company if the Tesco plan was turned down.

"The funds generated by the sale of our site will be ploughed into a new building on the Morlands Enterprise Park," he said.

"We would hope to occupy our new site by the spring of 2010. I hope you will see fit to support a local manufacturing company going forward."

Mr Butler said that despite the credit crunch, his six-year-old company was growing and increasing its employment levels.

Without cross-subsidy funding from the proposed Tesco store, Avalon Plastics would have to look beyond Glastonbury, and invest instead in its site near Caerphilly in South Wales.

Other supporters of the application included Planning Board vice chairman Dick Skidmore, who said that if 140 local jobs could be saved, Mendip should be prepared to take the risk and back Tescos.

"We have seen what an utter failure SWERDA have been on the Morlands site over the last eight years - £19m and not one revenue generating site," he said.

"Let's move on and approve this application."

His enthusiasm is not shared by Street Chamber of Trade, who say the advent of the superstore would kill off the small Street Tesco Metro, which they described as "a vital anchor to the town centre."