A survey of traders has delivered a damning verdict on the impact Sainsbury's and the new relief road have had Matlock.
In a survey by campaign group Belper Against Tesco Superstore, over 87 per cent of business owners said less people visited the town centre on foot since the superstore and relief road were built.
Drops in sales were reported by 62 per cent of th
ose interviewed, and 65 per cent said they now had less customers.
Group spokesman Andy Minion said: "The main reaction was one of deep depression.
"We weren't prepared for the sheer scale of the effects the shopkeepers told us about and how they were only too happy to speak to us.
"They said how it wasn't just Sainsbury's or the relief road, but the combination of the two," added Mr Minion.
Mr Minion said there was very little support for the development, and the term "ghost town" had been used several times by traders.
Less than three per cent thought Sainsbury's would improve the vitality of the town centre.
Of the traders who felt Sainsbury's and the relief road harmed trade, 57.5 per cent said it would have a significant impact on their future business.
Volunteers from the campaign group surveyed 43 Matlock businesses one morning in March.
The six-question survey was drawn up by group member Ali Hubbard, who designs questionnaires for a living.
A county council spokeswoman said the authority had not been involved in the report and therefore could not comment on its content.
"Derbyshire Dales District Council gave planning permission for the Sainsbury's development and we advised on the building and design of the road which the district council approved," she added.
"We are aware that some traders in Matlock are unhappy with the changes to the road system. We've met with representatives to discuss their suggestions for improvement and we're looking at some of them to see if they might be feasible."
Sainsbury's said it stores brought jobs and skills to communities.
A spokeswoman said: "We invest strongly in the communities we serve – for £52m-worth of Active Kids sport and activity equipment is being donated to schools across the UK.
"We are confident that there is room in the in this highly competitive market for all formats and that our customers benefit from lower prices, increased choice due to a wider product range and improved quality on fresh food," she added.
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here.The full article contains 437 words and appears in Matlock Mercury newspaper.
