CITY planners look set to again recommend that councillors block the plans from Tesco for a store on the site of Christopher Whitehead School in St John's.

The supermarket chain withdrew its original proposals last October after planning officers from the city council told them they would be recommending refusal.

They raised concerns about the retail and traffic impact the store would have on St John's, and were also opposed to moving the school out of the area to Earls Court Farm.

Tesco submitted its new application to the planning department yesterday.

But principal planning officer, Peter Yates, said he could not see any significant changes from the plans submitted by the firm last year.

The application will now go through the normal consultation process and is expected to go before the planning committee in early April. It will then have to be discussed by the full council, probably when it meets on Tuesday, April 29.

Before then, representatives from Tesco will challenge the Local Plan at a public inquiry, which is being chaired by an independent planning inspector.

The plan currently earmarks the St John's sports centre site for a supermarket, the land that Sainsbury's already has permission to build on.

At the hearing, on Tuesday, March 25, Tesco will try to persuade the inspector that the Christopher Whitehead School site is more suitable.

Next week, Tuesday, February 11, Worcestershire County Council's planning and regulatory committee will meet to discuss the proposals for the new school.

The plans are likely to be sent to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.