FRIENDS of the Earth claim a planning loophole allowing a York supermarket to expand its floor space without council approval will hit city centre businesses.

Asda, at Monks Cross, is one of five Asda stores in the UK which has had a mezzanine floor installed to give floorspace for non-food goods, such as clothing and electrical equipment.

A mezzanine floor is also due to be installed at Tesco, in Tadcaster Road, as part of refurbishment work.

Under current planning law, big supermarkets and retailers do not need planning permission for these expansions of retail floorspace in out-of-town locations.

Friends of the Earth say this loophole makes a "mockery" of recent government promises to revive town centres and reduce dependence on out-of-town car-based shopping.

The environmental pressure group is now campaigning for an amendment to the Planning Bill, which is being debated in the Lords this week, to ensure that in future such developments will go through the normal planning process.

The Government has promised to investigate the scale of the problem of internal extensions but has not yet reported on this research.

Simon Bowens, Friends of the Earth Yorkshire and Humber Regional Campaigner, said: "Our local shops and town centres are already struggling to stay afloat in the face in the face of ruthless competition from out-of-town stores.

"If the Government does not close this planning loophole its promises to revive town centres will sound very hollow indeed."

A spokesperson for Asda said that the campaign by Friends of the Earth had been "selective" in presenting the facts surrounding mezzanine extensions.

"In almost every case, planning consents for supermarkets are granted with conditions attached which restrict the amount of retail floor space that can be provided," they said. "In these circumstances, if a retailer wishes, at a later date, to increase its retail floor space, it must submit a new planning application."

City of York Council's executive member for planning and transport, Ann Reid, said she would welcome a review of the law by the Government.

"This seems to be a new wheeze on the part of retailers and I think possibly the law needs to be tidied up," she said.

"These expansions not only have a knock-on effect on what happens in the city centre but clearly the stores do not have the necessary parking for the amount of floor space."

Updated: 09:29 Thursday, February 05, 2004