Residents of West Lavington are waiting to see what will happen to the former Stage Post pub site after Budgens confirmed it is no longer interested in building a supermarket there.

A planning application for the store caused uproar in the village as there is already a Costcutter shop in the High Street and small businesses in the surrounding villages of Market Lavington and Great Cheverell were also concerned that they would lose trade.

A petition organised by Costcutter and R. Douse and Son family butchers in Market Lavington against the planning application was signed by 423 people while a petition organised by the store in Great Cheverell had 182 signatures.

More than 55 letters of objections were sent to Wiltshire Council’s planning department with just two letters of support for the Budgens store.

The planning application by Punch Taverns, owner of the site, also included building six houses and a number of those who wrote in to object said they welcomed the housing proposed.

West Lavington, Market Lavington and Easterton parish councils all objected to the plan, saying a store would impact negatively on existing retailers.

A Budgens spokesman told The Gazette: “We have no further plans for this site.”

A spokesman for Punch Taverns said: “We are in discussions with interested parties.”

Chris Drake, owner of Costcutter in West Lavington, said:“I was pleased at the level of support for local businesses.”

Liz Evans, chairman of West Lavington Parish Council, said: “I think, generally, the village would prefer housing on the site. We just don’t know what will happen to the site. It’s been in a terrible state for too long, it does nothing for our village.”