More than 300 people visited a two-day exhibition in North Walsham outlining plans for an edge-of-town supermarket and petrol station.

Development firm Scott Properties said initial feedback showed that 85pc of those who responded backed their plans to build on the former Marrick's Wire Ropes site, on Cromer Road, creating up to 250 jobs.

Many of those who attended last Thursday and Friday had expressed a strong preference for either a Morrisons or Asda supermarket on the site, according to James Tucker, a director of Scott Properties. The firm has said it is currently in talks with all major national retailers.

Mr Tucker added: 'A lot of people confirmed that they travelled outside North Walsham to do their shopping and that they would welcome increased competition and choice in the town. There was a great deal of support for another petrol station in the town. Local people were very keen to see more jobs brought to the town. Generally, people were happy to see an unsightly site on a gateway to the town being brought forward for development.'

But a number of local people had been concerned about the proposed closure to motor traffic of Link Road, also known as Bradfield Road, next to the supermarket site.

Mr Tucker said that element of the scheme had come from Norfolk County Council's highways department and Scott Properties would be discussing it further with them.

Some people in homes neighbouring the site had also expressed reservations and Mr Tucker said they would be looking to address those concerns with their architect and consultants. They hoped to have a planning application ready to submit next month.

As of today 115 people had returned feedback forms. Anyone else who wishes to view the plans and comment can do so online at www.cromerroadnorthwalsham.co.uk

The Scott Properties scheme, for a store up to 45,000 sq ft - which would be a little larger than the town's Sainsbury's - follows a planning application by Waitrose to convert the former Focus DIY store further along Cromer Road into a 21,000 sq ft store, creating 150 jobs, and a proposal by developers Petros/Hartfield, who are in talks with Tesco, to build a supermarket somewhere on the town's Midland Road which would also be a little larger than Sainsbury's and would offer about 200 jobs.