MANAGERS at a New Forest village store have won the right to expand their shop – but only if giant delivery lorries are cut down to size.

Neighbours and parish councillors in Ashurst fear plans to extend the Co-op in Lyndhurst Road will create a “lorry park” in surrounding streets as huge articulated vehicles struggle to drop off loads.

The company has applied to create a single-storey extension using part of its current car park which opens on to Wood Road.

The scheme includes developing a new shop front with automatic sliding doors and creating room to store unpacked delivery cages.

But Ashurst and Colbury Parish council chairman Peter Sopowsky said it will restrict space and told the New Forest National Park Authority’s planning committee: “This is going to create a lorry park turning zone – it isn’t what we should have in a National Park and it’s going to cause problems for the residents.”

Local resident Steve Davis fears the 2.8 metre car park clearance for deliveries is insufficient to prevent them blocking the road.

He said: “It seems the required space seems to be meeting whatever they need to get their application through. Are there penalties that can be put in place to deter the use of larger vehicles?”

Cllr Sopowsky also slammed the company’s plans to create nine parking spaces on the site – three more than present – as “ludicrous”.

“There is a fib being told about how much extra space we are going to get,” he said. “Unless the telephone box is a Tardis and there’s space in there?”

But planning committee member Maureen Holding drew on evidence from a transport assessment ordered by the committee after it deferred its decision two months ago.

She said it is a “generous space” and added: “This is a very good business that serves the community well and we should be supporting them in this economic climate.”

Member David Harrison claimed parking was adequate – pointing out most customers walked there and added: “The test that we set with lorry movements is one we should be satisfied with.

“I’ve rarely seen nine cars competing for spaces.”

The panel unanimously aproved the plan but ruled that lorries must be no more than 12 metres in length and restricted the store to 25 deliveries a week.

Store manager Richard Dance said the company will remove a car park sign to improve manoeuvrability for drivers.