OWNERS of a multi-million pound shopping centre in Worcester have attacked plans for a £150 million out-of-town retail park - saying it will cause serious damage to the city centre.

The Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund, which is bankrolling the overhaul of Cathedral Plaza, has called the John Lewis-led Worcester Woods project "the wrong proposal in the wrong place".

The investors have gone as far as paying UK-leading retail experts to produce a report which assesses and then heavily criticises the shopping proposal, saying the city centre faces a 'substantial threat' as a leading destination if it goes ahead.

The intervention comes as Salmon Harvester is embarking on a transformation of its 220,000 square foot site including seven new restaurants overlooking a new continental-style piazza facing Worcester Cathedral.

The Cathedral Plaza plans, which also include a gym, foodstore and refurbishment of the existing units, were given planning permission last year and work is currently underway on shrinking the roundabout to accommodate the huge changes.

The Worcester Woods development off Newtown Road, led by the UK's biggest developer Land Securities, is due to be voted on by Worcester City Council's planning committee as early as April.

The dispute between the two cranks up the pressure on the authority ahead of the decision.

Land Securities has responded by labelling its bid a "once in a generation opportunity" for Worcester.

Nick Webb, from the Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund, said: "Whilst investment in Worcester is to be welcomed, it must not be at any cost.

"This is the wrong proposal in the wrong place, designed to take advantage of the site’s location next to the M5 and will only result in a loss of trade for the city centre.

"If built, this shopping centre would cause real and long-lasting damage to the vitality and viability of the High Street, threatening businesses and investment.

"We are concerned it will attract existing shops out of the city centre and attract those new retailers the city centre needs to succeed and to provide what the people of Worcester want it to.

“We urge Worcester City Council to continue to support the success of the city centre and refuse permission for this clearly inappropriate development."

The company has commissioned Carter Jonas, a consultancy firm based in London which offers expertise in retail.

Dr Steve Norris, from Carter Jonas, said: "We have no doubt that allowing Worcester Woods will lead to significant job losses and unfortunately the closure of a number of businesses in the city centre.

"There can be no doubt it will have a significant adverse impact on the city centre.

"This level of competition will be occurring at a critical time for Worcester's centre as it recovers from the effects of the deepest recession in living memory, and against a backdrop of significant structural changes in the retail market, not least the rapid growth in internet shopping."

The Worcester Woods planning application features 13 units and 1,044 parking spaces with Next, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's also signed up so far.

Land Securities say it will create 551 full-time jobs if it gets the nod.

The developer has insisted its plans will not harm the city centre, but instead attract shoppers in from outside Worcester currently going to places like Cheltenham and Birmingham.

It says its plan will attract up to £50 million of new investment from retailers, and claw back an estimated £113 million in 'lost' trade to rival destinations in the region.

Nick Duffield, portfolio director for Land Securities said: "Worcester needs to look to the future if it is to continue to thrive.

"This is a once in a generation opportunity for the city.

"The plans will deliver hundreds of new jobs, deliver millions of pounds of investment and attract some of the leading retailers in the UK."