For neighbours living on Norwood Road in Southport, the news of a new Sainsbury's superstore opening at the end of their street should bring with it a measure of joy.
With the road roughly a mile and a half from the town centre, the 50,000 sqft store and petrol station should be a welcome addition to the area. However, plans for the new Sainsbury's Meols Cop Retail Park were met with strong opposition and took seven years to come to fruition with neighbours calling it a "pointless" venture that will bring about "the death of the town".
Sainsbury's initially received planning permission to demolish the building and build a 60,000 sqft store and petrol station in 2017 only being approved after a five-day public inquiry which was called for by then Southport MP John Pugh.
