VOTING forms about the new Tesco store to be opened in Lyme Regis have been sent out to homes in the town.

But the papers have fallen short of the full referendum that had been hoped for by campaigners fighting the supermarket’s arrival.

The vote comes as it was revealed Tesco will sell alcohol every day from 6am until 11pm if its liquor licence is approved by the district council.

The supermarket wants to sell a ‘limited range’ of beers, wines and spirits from its new Broad Street store, seven days a week.

But a district council spokesman said although the application requests permission to sell liquor for 17 hours every day, it doesn’t necessarily mean the store would choose to use all those hours.

If the licence is granted, three outlets in a row would be able to sell alcohol, with neighbours Co-op and Threshers already selling drink.

Letters of support or objection to the application must reach licensing authority West Dorset District Council by January 1.

The retailer still has four planning applications to be determined, with last Friday the deadline for comments from the public.

A total of around 100 comments were made on all the applications, mostly objections or concerns – with the notable exception of four, all from Cobb Terrace resident Matt Puddy.

Supporting plans for an ATM machine, set back into the building in a well-lit area, Mr Puddy said it ‘makes perfect sense’.

He said: “During the busy times in Lyme Regis, we have lost count the times the current three ATM machines have either run out of money or been out of order.”

Woodmead Road residents Steve and Pat Campbell said a cash machine would cause problems in the already congested high street. They said: “There would inevitably be an increase in illegal parking as people stopped to use the facility. This would compound the congestion and other adverse effects of Tesco’s operational plans.”

Objecting to air conditioning and condenser units on the roof of the building, Robert Eliot, a resident of nearby Sherborne Lane, said: “The continual noise from these units would be a major problem for the people living adjacent to Tesco.”

Mr Puddy was more concerned with the comfort of future staff than surrounding residents. “This application of course is vital for the well being of Tesco’s future staff,” he said.

Broad Street resident Lady Sara Apsley believes a new shopfront, including automatic doors and an access ramp, would be ‘ugly, invasive and unattractive’. She said: “One can only assume that the frontage changes will be glaring and unsightly – if any other Tesco Express stores are anything to go by.”

Mr Puddy has called the design ‘a breath of fresh air’.

The supermarket also wants externally illuminated signs, including a main Tesco sign and bus stop symbol. Merry Bolton, of Cobb Road, said: “In a conservation area like Lyme Regis and large and illuminated sign would be out of character.”

But Mr Puddy thinks the exact opposite.

“The front elevation view looks smart and neat,” he said.