A group representing residents in South Ruislip has said it is disappointed a £100million leisure development will be put on hold.

Sid Jackson, vice chair of the South Ruislip Residents' Association, said the area desperately needed facilities such as those planned for the derelict former dairy site in Victoria Road.

Yesterday (Thursday, January 15) it emerged that the development, which will include a multi-screen cinema complex, five restaurants, an Asda supermarket and housing, could be delayed by up to a year or even scrapped altogether, because rival Sainsbury's, which wants to double the size of its store in nearby Long Drive, plans to launch a judicial review of the planning process.

Mr Jackson said: “I'm disappointed but I'm also not surprised. From the outset a large majority of our residents have been behind the development, because if you look at South Ruislip, all we have got is retail outlets and we have got no facilities for the community.”

The residents' association, which represents around 2,000 people in South Ruislip, had previously submitted a petition in support of the Arla Food site's development to Hillingdon Council.

At a planning meeting in October last year, when the plans were approved, Mr Jackson said around 80 per cent of residents were in favour of the development.

Andrew Rennie, managing director of Citygrove Securities plc, the firm behind the plans, said nearby businesses also wanted the project to go ahead.

He said: “Sainsbury's was the only business that objected to the application and every other business we've spoken to actually supports it.”