PLANNING bosses were due to hear the latest salvos this afternoon in a bitter Bolton superstore war over a planned new B&Q store. Leicester-based Helical Retail Limited is seeking permission for a 15,328 sq metres DIY store on land next0 to the Boltongate shopping centre, off Kay Street.

Morbaine Limited, from Widnes, have also submitted plans for a 9,512 sq metre DIY complex on land at Trinity Street. Both applications are set to be heard by members of the council planning committee today.

Helical has already announced that they have been in talks with B&Q in a proposed scheme which would create between 150 and 175 new full-time jobs.

But last month Morbaine sent a letter to Bolton Council's head of planning, claiming that Helical Retail had not formally pre-let the Boltongate site to B&Q. Morbaine's development executive Alex Brodie stated in the letter that they had also been in discussions with B&Q bosses about the Trinity Street site.

The claims prompted a furious reaction from B&Q bosses, who said there had been "full board approval" for Helical's Boltongate scheme.

In a letter, B&Q's development manager David Childs, claimed the DIY company was at an "advanced stage" of legal negotiations with Helical Retail Ltd.

The letter added: "Commercial terms have been put to us by Morbaine but negotiations have not progressed."

It is unlikely a decision will be reached today. Planning officers have recommended that the final decision on both applications should be delegated to the director of planning.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.