Tesco has told traders that it does not want to take shoppers from Marlborough town centre.

Its new store will sell food only, more than 80 councillors and public were told at a town council meeting on Monday.

Melanie Chiswell, Tesco’s regional corporate affairs manager, said: “There is no reason for anyone to feel nervous about our plans.

“They are designed to keep people shopping in Marlborough.”

She said Tesco has a conditional deal with Marlborough Business Park for a small supermarket which she described as the perfect size for the town.

“At 15,000 square feet it will be a similar size to our store in Hungerford and it will be selling food only,” she said.

“If you want to buy clothes then you should go into the centre of Marlborough.”

Due to the size of the site, there is no room for expansion, she told the meeting.

The company had considered the former Woolworths site in the High Street but felt it was not right for Tesco.

After the meeting, Lisa Farrell, 43, from Five Stiles Road, who campaigned to bring Tesco to the town, said many people were disappointed that the supermarket will sell food only.

“But I think we should be grateful for whatever we get,” she said.

“We don’t want to destroy the High Street shops.

“I am disappointed that I will still have to go to Swindon for affordable clothes.

“Perhaps we should be encouraging shops in the centre to stock the kind of things we want to buy.

“But it is a start. It will encourage other businesses to come into Marlborough.”

Before the meeting, Marlborough Chamber of Commerce told Ms Chiswell at an informal meeting that they were worried free parking at Tesco could draw trade away from the high street.

Afterwards president Pete Davison said he could not comment about whether members had been reassured until Tuesday when the chamber has its own meeting with Tesco.