Tesco and J Sainsbury, the rival retailers, are heading for a High Court battle over plans to build a large supermarket in the West Midlands.

Wolverhampton City Council recently granted Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, permission to develop a large site on the city’s ring road.

However, Sainsbury’s - which co-owns the Raglan Street site with Tesco - is fighting the ruling and has won the right to a judicial review.

The tussle over the development of the land has been running for about a decade.

Sainsbury’s owns two thirds of the land and is questioning the council’s demand for it to give up its share. According to local press reports, Sainsbury’s hopes to convince the High Court that the planned use of a compulsory purchase order to claim the land is unlawful.

A spokesman for Wolverhampton City Council said that representatives from the council and Tesco will be making representations as part of the judicial review.

Daily Telegraph