FRESH proposals by Sainsbury's for a supermarket in St John's are likely to be put before Worcester city councillors for a decision within two months.

The revised plans are for a store in Swanpool Walk with a reduction of 1,500sq ft of sales space and the introduction of two extra pedestrian crossings.

Sainsbury's is still going to appeal against the council's veto on a larger scheme. No date has been fixed.

"We've a determination period for applications of eight weeks and so we'd aim to decide the issue before a public inquiry into the earlier refusal," said the council's director of development services, Stuart McNidder.

He said the planning department had suggested the Sainsbury's matter be joined with the inquiry into Asda's plans for a supermarket at the old cattle market. Asda's four-day hearing is due to start on Tuesday, July 31. However, Mr McNidder said Asda had criticised the idea.

David Birtwhistle, who lives at Bransford Road and belongs to the pressure group Save Our St John's, remained sceptical about the revised proposals.

"I've not seen them, but if this application is just a modest change it's not enough," he said.

"I'm hoping for something radically different, because what Sainsbury's was proposing before would blight this area."

Jim Panter, chairman of SOS, said he continued to fear traffic congestion caused by a new supermarket and called on Sainsbury's to hold talks with the campaigners.

"Sainsbury's ought to consider a 'Metro' store in St John's, which would be about a third of the size of what they're proposing at Swanpool Walk," he added.

The Planning Inspectorate has aired the idea of hearing the supermarket chain's case while one of its staff was supervising the inquiry into the Grove Farm industrial development.

The Grove Farm inquiry was called because the council's approval of the plans to put an industrial estate on 12.5 acres of land clashed with the Local Plan. The inquiry has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 3.