MONMOUTHSHIRE'S head of planning says the level of opposition to the plans for the re-development of Abergavenny Cattle Market is unprecedented.

Almost 3,000 letters objecting to plans to build an Asda supermarket were delivered to the county council's head of planning, George Ashworth, at County Hall earlier this week by campaigners.

The campaign, spear-headed by the Save Our Market Town Alliance, was set up by traders, councillors and local organisations who are worried how the new store will affect trade, because 40 percent of the store will be selling clothes and other household goods.

After taking delivery of the sackful of letters from representatives from the alliance, including president of Abergavenny Chamber of Trade, Andy Hinksman, Mr Ashworth said: "We welcome the level of public interest in the scheme. We will acknowledge the receipt of letters, which are evidence of the importance to Abergavenny people of the redevelopment. "In the meantime I want to reassure people that all the issues raised will be compiled in a report which will go to the planning committee and council.

"It is unprecedented. We have previously had a 2,000-name petition but not this many letters.

"It is the largest post-bag we've had."

ATC President, Andy Hinksman, said the campaign is one of the biggest the town has seen.

"This scheme would ruin the town. The competition it would bring to the High Street would inevitably close stores."

Town councillor Laurie Jones added: "We have got to preserve the heritage and independent character."

Alliance member and Friends of the Earth rco-ordinator Barry Greenwood said: "In five separate days of campaigning we have been amazed to find that, overwhelmingly, Aberga-venny shoppers are saying 'NO' to a large, sell-everything supermarket," he said.

"We analysed the letters to find out where town centre shoppers live and found that 48 percent live outside the catchment area assumed by the developers Henry Boot in their retail assessment report, which forms part of the application.

"Most of these long-distance shoppers come here because Abergavenny is different-it is not like the supermarket dominated towns where they live, and most indicated they wouldn't come to Abergavenny if a large supermarket turned it into just another 'clone town'."

The store, which would be the smallest Asda in Wales, would share a site with two retail units, a new public library, a two-screen cinema, 34 residential units and 373 car parking spaces.