WITH all the bluster of late about supermarkets in Worcester, things have gone curiously quiet in Hylton Road.

Not at the Evening News, which is as vibrant as ever. But the city has heard little from Safeway about its proposed Westside store.

The plans were lodged in June 1999 and, apart from tweaking them in response to some criticism from the planners, the company has kept a low profile.

I wouldn't topple from my chair with surprise if the firm eventually withdrew its application. Let's assume Safeway doesn't.

Readers should always take my words with a pinch of salt, but I expect that, come a "crunch" technical services meeting, the senior planning officers, Stuart McNidder and Mark Middleton, will recommend Sainsbury's scheme.

They will advise refusal of Safeway's and Asda's schemes, I suspect.

The committee will probably be split over Sainsbury's, with traffic issues looming large.

The Westside councillors will probably vote against, but may be outvoted, due to consultants accepting a "need" for a supermarket in St John's.

I assume if the planners recommend rejecting Asda the councillors will agree - though some will highlight the risk of leaving the site to grow weeds.

The final say in each case will rest with the Department of the Environment, which is convenient for the councillors.

I doubt if Safeway will shell out the £200,000 or so needed to appeal.

But Asda is bound to call in the lawyers, citing Planning Policy Guidance 6 - which says stores should go in city centres in preference to ones on the outskirts or in "district centres" like St John's.

Time for the DoE to put its money where its mouth is, I'd say.