ANSDELL residents have given the thumbs-up to the construction of a supermarket on the local rugby ground.

More than 1,000 Park Ward residents voted in favour of the building of a Booths' store on the Fylde rugby ground, Blackpool Road, Ansdell, recently.

The figure was produced in a people's poll conducted by Park Ward councillor Hilda Wilson. More than half of the 2,000 leaflets hand delivered to Park Ward residents were returned, with 135 voting against and 1,076 in favour of the proposal of re-siting Booths' Ansdell store.

The referendum shows a groundswell of support for the application, the second made by Booths following their original application being turned down last year.

Coun Wilson said: "For some considerable time I have been made aware of the very strong feelings of the residents of my ward and the figures must now be allowed to speak for themselves.

"I have noted all the comments made for and against, and feel it is important to comment on how much the residents of the Ansdell area must care about his issue.

"They took the time and trouble, and went out of their way during the inclement weather, to make sure their votes got to me."

The vote count was carried out by independent local residents and was overseen by a separate ward councillor.

Coun Wilson added that it was important to keep a Booths in Ansdell, but appreciated the problems faced by the current site on Woodland Road.

"People like the site. They like the fact that it sells local produce, but it just is just not big enough."

Ansdell has a village atmosphere, she said. "The people living around think it could be made more so, and don't want Booths to close and move away altogether."

The manager of Booths declined to comment other than to say: "We are bursting at the seams. We can't offer the service we want to."