WORRIED Caister allotment holders have been assured by the parish council that they will not lose their plots if the Tesco store is redeveloped.Fears were initially raised about the allotments' future when Tesco first mooted the idea of building a bigger store two years ago and concerns were stoked by an allotment holder from a neighbouring parish who claimed to have heard the supermarket giant was planning to take allotment land.

WORRIED Caister allotment holders have been assured by the parish council that they will not lose their plots if the Tesco store is redeveloped.

Fears were initially raised about the allotments' future when Tesco first mooted the idea of building a bigger

store two years ago and concerns were stoked by an allotment holder from a neighbouring parish who claimed to have heard the supermarket giant was planning to take allotment land.

However, parish council chairman Tony Overill gave assurances at Monday's council meeting there were no plans to take allotments. He said the site would be fenced off instead and Tesco would be providing waste water from its store into water butts for the allotment holders to use.

Gardener Jean Cunningham said: “We are pleased there are no plans to take the allotments. I mean, I know an elderly gentleman in Ambrose Road whose dad had an allotment and it has been there a long time and they don't want it taken away.”

Mrs Cunningham said she had a plot on the Ambrose Road site for 10 years and also did not want to lose her land.

The parish council has been in negotiations with Tesco about providing the global retail giant with council land in return for a new �1m state-of-the-art village hall on the site.

The hall will boast recording facilities, a new council office and a 200- seater main hall.

The council is due to hold a public meeting to discuss the plans before Tesco submits a planning application for the scheme to Great Yarmouth Borough Council.