SIR - I read an article in the Daily Telegraph concerning Sainsbury in Barnes and was astonished how closely it mirrored our experience in St John's, Worcester.

We had a similar scenario acted out by Sainsbury in support of an over-large development on a small site with inadequate vehicular access.

We organised a local referendum, signed by 5,000 people and we made representations at local planning meetings. The plan was rejected by Worcester City Council.

Sainsbury forced the application to be called in by the Secretary of State and won the appeal.

All this took place in 2000. It is now 2007 and the store has not even been started yet. Sainsbury has a bank of land, local stores and a disused cinema. The centre of our community is subject to boarded up shops and an old cinema, derelict land and general lack of enterprise. Any potential business has been put off from moving in as it expects the 500lb gorilla to open its doors any time soon.

We have now had a major fire in the derelict cinema, further disfiguring the street scene.

Adding insult to injury, Sainsbury has recently closed its city centre store, which was in the place where we want such shops.

Has our council or our MP got any power to resolve the situation or does Sainsbury continue to do exactly as it pleases?

Jim Panter, St John's, Worcester.