It is crunch time for Morrisons and various Weybridge community groups as the plans to build a store go before planning next week.

The supermarket group has written to objectors outlining its case for a shop in Monument Hill, but the Weybridge Town Business Group and Weybridge Society both oppose the plans.

Adam Moreve, chairman of Weybridge Town Business Group, said: “The facilities Morrisons is going to provide are already in the high street and these businesses will lose their trade. We are here to support the businesses within the town.

“It does not matter who it is, at the end of the day, Morrisons is not interested in the town. It comes in supplying everything and that stops people shopping in the town itself.

“We’ve got enough supermarkets around us and do not need them taking business away from the town and that is what they are going to do.”

Morrisons supermarket has written to Weybridge Town Business Group to demonstrate what its investment would deliver to Monument Hill and the town as a whole.

In response to comments from traders about the potential impacts of the proposed store in Monument Hill, Morrisons has provided evidence and academic research that shows how a new store could increase footfall and provide wider economic benefits for the town.

Morrisons also argued that as a grocery business, it complemented many other High Street shops and services.

It said its view was supported by a University of Southampton study that recognised how food stores were rarely used for ‘one-stop-shopping’ and therefore encouraged visits to other businesses and drove up the overall number of shoppers using town centres.

Richard Haynes, development executive for Morrisons, said: “Morrisons wants to come to Weybridge because we believe we’ve got something to offer the town and that we can play our part in supporting a successful and vibrant town centre.”

Weybridge Town Business Group responded to Morrisons’ letter, countering a number of points and describing as preposterous the claim linked shopping trips would help expenditure in the rest of town.

The group said customers would “not shop in the town when they can get everything they require in one large superstore”.

The Weybridge Society welcomed officers’ recommendation that Morrisons’ application be refused.

Plans for the store, which would create about 300 jobs, were submitted to Elmbridge Council to redevelop the former Focus DIY site in June 2012. The application is due to be considered on Monday, October 15, at the west area planning subcommittee meeting.

A copy of Morrisons’ letter and a copy of the business group’s reply is available at weybridgetown.co.uk.