THE decision by supermarket giant Tesco to withdraw from their multi-million pound plans to create a new premises in Romsey will no doubt be welcomed by some campaigners.

Large retail developments seldom please everyone and the Romsey project based on land on the Broadlands Estate had its fair share of detractors.

But the loss of the project also means saying goodbye to hundreds of jobs, jobs that put wealth into the local economy.

Tesco have not explained why they have ditched the project when they have invested so much time and energy not to mention a fair amount of money in exploring the venture. Recent relatively disappointing trading figures for the company may have played into their decision.

Behind the initial headlines there lies also a further story, one that asks if we are too dependent on services and retail to provide growth and future prosperity.

Can we base our success as a nation too much on the sale of groceries and the jobs this produces?

The Broadlands Estate says it will now look at alternatives. It will be interesting to see what form those future plans take.