A PUBLIC inquiry due to start at Eastleigh's Civic Offices today into plans by Asda to provide a huge new sales area at its Chandler's Ford hypermarket is being heralded as an important planning test case.

Asda Stores Ltd is claiming the right to construct a mezzanine floor at its Chandler's Ford store without planning permission.

The new sales floor - comprising some 50,000 square feet - would, in effect, double the size of the original store sales area.

Under current planning legislation the construction of a mezzanine floor is treated as internal alterations and avoids the need for planning permission.

Asda submitted an application for a certificate of lawfulness, seeking confirmation from the council that proposals to construct the new floor did not require planning permission.

The council refused to grant the certificate, however, on the grounds that the development was a material change of use. The company has appealed against the decision and the matter will be argued by both sides at the planning inquiry headed by government-appointed planning inspector Roger Priestley.

Eastleigh's development control chief Colin Peters said: "This is an important test case. There are a number of out-of-town stores around the country which are looking at similar developments."

Eastleigh has also received similar applications from Tesco at Bursledon and furniture store SCS at Hedge End.