A BOLTON Tory councillor has been accused of "going behind the backs" of his colleagues after it was revealed that he arranged a private meeting with Asda chairman Archie Norman. And the supermarket giants have been slammed by Bolton's planning chiefs for refusing a meeting over the future of their Astley Bridge store. Asda had put in a planning application for extra car parking spaces for its store on land off Old Road and Blackburn Road.

But planning bosses wanted more information about their plans for the store as a whole and the mainly empty row of shops in front of it on Blackburn Road before making a decision.

Conference

Astley Bridge Tory Cllr John Walsh wrote to Mr Norman, who is deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, and arranged to meet him at the party conference in Bournemouth.

Furious Labour councillors hit out at Cllr Walsh at a planning control sub committee meeting where they eventually agreed to approve the car park extension plan. Vice chairman Cllr John Byrne said: "For Cllr Walsh to go behind our backs like this is absolutely disgraceful."

Astley Bridge Labour Cllr Stuart Murray added: "We have made formal approaches to Asda and been turned down, but a councillor who just happens to know the chairman is given a meeting."

Cllr Guy Harkin, deputy council leader, added: "I am appalled by Asda's response.

"We quite properly on behalf of residents and staff tried to find out what is going on.

"The area is looking more and more tacky and tatty and we don't want those shops to end up as another Harwood precinct.

"But it seems that the only person Asda will talk to is an individual member of this authority."

But Cllr Walsh hit back: "I made an approach to Asda which as a ward councillor I am perfectly entitled to do.

"I wrote to the chairman and I suggested that we should meet in Bournemouth.

"I was told that there are at present no plans for the store or the row of shops."

An Asda spokesman said: "This was simply an application for car parking, nothing more than that." Walsh - 'I'm entitled' Harkin - Appalled Byrne - 'Absolutely disgraceful'

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