This iconic curved building is the first image released of the planned Sainsbury’s flagship store for the centre of Wolverhampton.

The dramatic development would transform the rundown Raglan Street site near Chapel Ash as part of a £65 million retail park complete with a supermarket, petrol station, private flats and sheltered housing. The supermarket, which owns 80 per cent of the land, has been at loggerheads with rival Tesco for years over the lucrative 20-acre Raglan Street site.

Tesco owns the other 20 per cent of the land – bordered by Ring Road St Mark’s – and wants to create a 10,000 sq metre superstore, petrol station, 11 shops, more than 100 apartments and sheltered accommodation.

Both were given outline planning consent earlier this year to develop the prime site, and each is refusing to give way.

Each company has now submitted its final bid, explaining why it should be the one to provide the new store. Council bosses are set to make their ruling in the next few days.

They will be forced to invoke compulsory purchase powers on the loser to give up its share. 

Sainsbury’s has already ordered the demolition of run-down buildings around the site. Work has now started to clean up and fence off the former Trimco Holdings buildings, Rayton Electrical site and part of the Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries building in Raglan Street.

Sainsbury’s spokeswoman Sue Bailey said: “We are completely committed to developing this scheme.”

Tesco corporate affairs manager Tony Fletcher said: “We had a development agreement with the council to develop Raglan Street after Sainsbury’s pulled out years ago.”