Despite denials last week B&M stores are to take over the former Morrisons supermarket in Burnham.

The nationwide retailer sells anything from food to electricals, clothing to pet food, and garden equipment to hardware, and will open the Pier Street store this spring. No timeline has been given for the new store’s opening but B&M told the Weekly News they would keep the town ‘updated.’

The Chamber of Commerce was criticised by members of the public who had campaigned to keep Morrisons open over their private meeting of traders at the Dunstan Inn last week. Gaynor Brown who raised a petition of 4,000 signatures to keep a grocery store on the site said she was disappointed not to have been invited and felt let down by the organisers.

Mrs Brown and others is concerned that B&M will damage many of the existing businesses in the High Street area while traders have told the Weekly News privately they fear the impact of B&M will have. The campaigners also felt the Chamber of Commerce and MP had proved powerless during the affair and their private meeting with town councillors and traders was “just hot air.”

The store issued a statement saying they would be creating 50 new jobs and said they would attract increased trade to town throughout the year. They said: "We will be inviting colleagues who worked at the former store to interview for these posts, as well as opening them up to the wider community."

For the town council the mayor of Burnham and Highbridge Cllr Michael Clarke welcomed the news that the empty store was being filled with its associated new jobs but the council was concerned the shop could have a negative effect on other shops.

The Town Centre Manager Beverly Milner Simonds said: “I am pleased to see Sedgemoor's prediction of a speedy reassignment has proven correct and I hope that staff laid off by Morrisons will be front of the queue with B&M for new positions. Whilst this trader will not be good news for everyone, I look forward to working with the new store management for the benefit of the whole town centre."

What effect do you think the new store will have on the town? Your views please to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk