The proposed site for the retail centre is near Rancho Grande. | Guillem Picó

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The Suma pel Canvi opposition group in Santa Margalida is to challenge a proposal for a commercial retail centre in the municipality.

The plan is for a centre of some 39,000 square metres that would be built on land near to Rancho Grande in Son Serra de Marina. The Suma party says that the scheme is "disproportionate". It would occupy an area equivalent to the size of six football pitches and would be unnecessary for a municipality with 13,000 residents. Councillor Beatriz Gamundi argues that rather than destroying an area of pine wood by building the centre, support should be given to small businesses in Santa Margalida.

The possibility of the development follows a council meeting decision last week to include this commercial site in the revised general urban plan. Suma opposed this. A further reason for it being a possibility is the plan for commercial centres that the Council of Majorca is working on. This more or less rules out any new ones in Palma but does open the way to developments elsewhere in Majorca, albeit that Inca and Manacor have been identified as primary locations.