THE TORY deputy leader of the Isle of Wight Council has refused to bow to Labour and Independent pressure and has stood by his decision to allow an Aldi or Lidl-type supermarket to be built next to Asda.

Cllr Stuart Hutchinson, the council's cabinet member for resources, used his delegated powers to vary a condition attached to the council's sale of the land for £350,000 to developer South Coast Leisure.

Under the old wording of its option to purchase SCL would not have been allowed to include a supermarket in its trade and retail park.

As revealed by the County Press last week, SCL intends to submit a planning application in the spring.

Cllr Hutchinson decided removing the restriction fitted the council's aims of promoting economic growth and investment in the Island and provided a significant income to the authority.

He pointed to SCL still needing planning permission if it wanted a supermarket.

Cllr Geoff Brodie, who successfully lobbied in 2014 for the restriction to be put in place, said removing it would impact on Newport town centre businesses, a concern echoed by Cllr Julie Jones-Evans and Newport Business Association.

Cllr Brodie is now seeking support from other councillors for the decision to be "called-in" and considered by the authority's scrutiny committee.