THE city council has attacked supermarket giant Tesco over the location of new stores in Nottingham.

Angry councillors say Tesco is looking at locations which they believe are inappropriate.

The retailer is pushing for a major new store in the 35-acre Eastside regeneration zone, off London Road.

It also wants to convert disused pubs into stores in Radford and Bakersfield.

Tesco does not need permission from the council to convert the pubs, due to revised planning rules. Coun Graham Chapman, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, used a meeting of the Executive Board, where he was acting as chairman, to vent his frustration.

He said: "They are playing havoc in the city. We need to take them on as far as we can.

"They are trying to develop pub sites surreptitiously. What can we do about Tesco taking over pubs and creating supermarkets where we do not want supermarkets?"

Tesco strongly disputes any claim it is acting improperly.

Tony Fletcher, corporate affairs manager, said: "We deny we are doing anything surreptitiously. There are a lot of pubs on the market. Where they are available and in suitable locations for convenience stores we look at them."

Mr Fletcher said Tesco was seeking an appropriate design for its proposed development at Eastside.

And he added: "We would welcome the opportunity to have dialogue with the city council."

Tesco is already a major player in and around the city with 20 stores in Greater Nottingham. It is estimated the company employs 1,700 staff. Another large store is planned for Bulwell.

Five Tesco Express stores have opened in the city centre in the last two years.

The tension between Tesco and the city council emerged after the supermarket chain agreed terms with developers to build a 110,000 sq ft store at Eastside, employing at least 500 people.

However, Coun Chapman fears the development will suck shoppers out of the city centre.

The supermarket chain was also granted a licence to sell alcohol at the site of former pub, the Jolly Higglers in Radford, despite objections from local residents.

The supermarket plans to convert the pub into a store.

Coun Katrina Bull, another executive board member and the representative for Radford, said: "They have exploited a loophole in the planning legislation. It is inappropriate for such a well-known brand."

City councillor Ken Williams is objecting to the conversion of The Oakdale public house in Bakersfield into a Tesco convenience store.

He said: "There is no planning application – so there is no debate about traffic. But this one is on a busy road near a roundabout.

"We are not anti-Tesco, but we want supermarkets in the right place."

The conversion of former pubs to retail outlets has become more common since a change in the law in 2008, which created more flexibility in the planning system.

Where a pub has planning permission, the consent can be transferred to a retail store, so the developer does not need to apply to the council for a change of use.

Jennifer Dearing, the corporate director for development, at Nottingham City Council said: "The council will be seeking a meeting with Tesco to clarify its plans in terms of large and small store provision."

Coun Chapman said sites occupied by former pubs could be turned into offices, housing, and shops. He would like to see the Eastside regeneration zone used for the development of new offices to help attract companies to the city and bring new jobs.

charles.walker@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk