PLANNERS look set to bow to public pressure by including retail space in proposals for Caterham's notorious Rose and Young site in Croydon Road.
More than 200 residents attended an exhibition last month to state their views on the subject – with a cinema, youth club and a shop such as Marks & Spencer high on wish lists.
However, a letter sent last month – and seen by the Mirror this week – from the site owner's agent Liam Power to Tandridge District Council's chief planning officer Piers Mason threatened to scupper local people's hopes.
Mr Power said: "It does not help that the surrounding shops and area is struggling, and there is also an over-supply of restaurants.
"We may have to revert to all-residential."
John Harvey, who earlier this month presented an 83-name petition to the council calling for the building's demolition, said the discrepancy was "worrying".
He added: "There is good reason for the council, on behalf of the community, to resist being blackmailed into accepting any development to remove the eyesore."
Julian Black, from the Kent-based firm of urban designers which staged the exhibition, told the Mirror: "The clear response from the public was to include some retail use in future plans.
"We have steered Mr Power towards a plan for retail space on the ground floor, with residential apartments above."
Mr Black said plenty of preparatory work lay ahead – including devising highways and land contamination reports.
He said he hoped a planning application would be submitted "hopefully before the autumn."
