Mr Sauvain said: “Tesco do not intend to develop the old town centre.

“They will sell the site on, rather than meeting any obligation to develop that part of the site.”

Mr Lancaster added: “Even if the final town centre phase were built it will only come about in 2014. On even the most optimistic of timetables, the damage to the town centre will have been done.”

They both once again attacked the planning application for hijacking the proper development process.

Both observed that there had been no attempt to put any of the shopping units in the old Kirkby town centre despite the fact Tesco now owned the land.

Mr Lancaster also spent considerable time outlining how his witnesses at the inquiry had showed the plans would ruin the chances of revamping Bootle, St Helens and, specifically, Skelmersdale.

He added: “It is, with respect, a singularly unattractive argument that, so long as there is benefit for Kirkby, the downside to the other centres should not matter and should be stoically borne by the other councils, their towns and residents.”