A plan to build a supermarket which divided a community has been thrown out by town hall chiefs.

The proposal to build a £13m Asda on the Marple campus of Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College would have created 250 jobs.

Residents and businesses set up the Marple in Action group to oppose the plan, while other residents sat up a ‘Yes Group’ backing the scheme.

But at a meeting of Stockport’s planning committee councillors voted to refuse the application submitted by the supermarket and the college.

The Hibbert Lane campus would have been on and cash from the sale of the land used to refurbish the college’s Buxton Lane campus.

Philip Bartram from Asda told councillors the plan represented a £13m investment, and would create more than 250 jobs.

And he claimed Asda had the support of the ‘silent majority’ in the community. But Coun Kevin Dowling said: “I have come across very little support for this scheme, and have found wholesale opposition to it.

“I would urge Asda on behalf of the community to transfer your affections somewhere else.”

The council received 782 letters and a 8,270-signature petition in objection, and 73 letters and a 284-signature petition in support.

The only member to speak in favour of the application, Coun Philip Harding, said: “If we turn this down we are saying we don’t want a £13m investment in Marple, and we don’t want 250 new jobs.”

David Hoyle, chairman of Marple in Action said: “Marple in Action have argued all along that Hibbert Lane was the wrong place for a supermarket and that it would spell disaster for the existing town shops and cause unacceptable traffic congestion. It is important now that the college now examines its other options to develop the Hibbert Lane site in a way that enhances Marple and its future educational needs.”

After the meeting Marple councillor Craig Wright said: “I now ask Asda to accept these decisions and drop their ambition to build a supermarket in Marple.” An Asda spokesman said they were disappointed by the decision.

He added: “Our plans would have created up to 250 new jobs and helped to regenerate the Marple campus of Cheadle and Marple College, providing a £13m investment into state-of-the-art education and sports facilities for students and the local community.

“We will now be taking some time to look in detail at the reasons for the council’s decision and will consider our next steps.”