VILLAGERS living on the outskirts of Bewdley want to see a supermarket brought to the town, a new survey shows.

A larger supermarket was one of the key factors residents from outlying villages said would attract them into the town centre, according to a study carried out by fund-raising charity Opportunity Bewdley.

But the authors of the survey were cautious when it came to making suggestions based on the results, as talk of a supermarket remains a sensitive topic.

Last year plans were overwhelmingly defeated to build a Co-op store in Wribbenhall as it would, in the words of Bewdley town councillor Stephen Clee, "be disastrous for shops in the town centre".

And Opportunity Bewdley chairman John Iles admitted he was treading carefully when it came to the issue.

He said: "I am not sure about a supermarket because that is quite an emotive term. We need to ask what sort of shops people would like to see in Bewdley and would they use them if they were there?"

Yet Mr Iles said an effort needed to be made to bring more people from areas such as Trimpley, Rock and Ribbesford into Bewdley as only two per cent of customers said they were currently doing their main shop in the town.

He said: "It is quite clear that a lot of people from the rural areas are using Bewdley for services like the doctor and the library but are not doing their shopping in the town. Why? Is it the range of things or is it because items are too expensive?"

Traders were also suffering because of problems shoppers faced getting into Bewdley, claimed the survey - based on responses from more than 400 residents - with a lack of car parking and bus routes a major concern.

"We have got to get better public transport in place to present a viable alternative to people using their car," added Mr Iles.

"I am very keen to see how we can work closely with transport providers to show this is a market they can go for."