A spokesperson for the Council told the FPB that Esso, which owns the Manchester Road site, has now lodged a formal appeal against the Council's delay in making a final decision. Esso plans to develop it in a similar fashion to the other 160 Tesco Express stores located at its service stations.

The Council unanimously rejected the planning application, despite it being recommended by council officers, following a campaign by a local pressure group comprising Chorlton's independent retailers and residents. Currently, the suburb does not have a Tesco. The FPB believes that it does not need one.

"The area is awash with Tesco stores," said the FPB's Campaigns Manager, Matt Hardman. "In South Manchester alone there is one in Burnage, one ten minutes away in Didsbury, and a Tesco Express in West Didsbury. Then there are stores in Stockport as well."

"There is simply no need for a Tesco on Manchester Road," he added. "Smaller retailers should be commended for standing up to the supermarket giant, and the Council's planning committee applauded for its courage. However, it is vital that they remain as courageous in the face of significant support for any appeal."

The FPB believes that the Competition Commission's inquiry into abuses in the groceries market has severely let down smaller businesses. In October, when it published its provisional findings, the Commission encouraged changes to the planning system that would see more competition between rival supermarkets, but failed to address the harm caused to high-street retailers. It also failed to guarantee the anonymity of smaller suppliers who want to give evidence to the inquiry, but who fear that their businesses could suffer as a result.

Unicorn Grocery is an independent co-operative in Albany Road, Chorlton. About 40 worker-members have an equal share in the business. One of them, Kellie Bubble, welcomed the planning committee's stance, but warned that the fight was not yet over.

"The final decision could be made on 20 December," she said. "At the moment it has only been recommended for refusal by the planning committee. With Tesco's history of trying to get planning permission by various means, such as coming back with new plans that are more or less the same as the old ones, perhaps our campaign will have to continue."