“The development will rip the heart out of Fintry and surrounding communities,” said Mr Issa.

“Are they (supermarkets) really serving the needs of the local community as Dundee is already being dubbed, ‘supermarket city’ and ‘trolley town’.”

Supermarket chain Morrisons submitted plans to Dundee City Council in June seeking permission for a food store and petrol filling station with associated car parking on the grounds of the former Linlathen High School site.

The supermarket proposals will be the subject of a vote at tonight’s meeting of the development quality committee. It is recommended for approval by planning officials.

If this is forthcoming, the application will then have to be referred to Scottish Executive ministers for a determination, as the land involved is owned by the city council.

“The main concerns are the dominance of supermarkets within Dundee, which is the main cause of a lot of community retailers closing down across the city,” said Mr Issa.

“You only need to look at Kirkton, Beechwood and Charleston to see they have been turned into ghost towns. It appears the need to generate development and sustain local enterprise doesn’t seem to be a priority for the local authority.

“I’m not against supermarkets, but how many do we need to serve our cities? I am concerned at the impact this will have on the local shops, which are the hub of the community.”

The proposal includes roads alterations and a new access to the site. It also involves the demolition of a housing block. If the plan is approved, it is understood the city council could make some £10 million from the sale of the site.

“Fintry has a lot of good local amenities and the impact this is going to have on the community will affect the elderly, disabled, parents with young children and those less mobile and have no transport,” said Mr Issa.

“Those using supermarkets are people with transport. They only need to travel another five minutes to find another supermarket. Local stores play an integral part in the community they serve. They are buying from local suppliers and employing local people.

“Stores closing will have a knock-on effect to local suppliers.”

There are fears the development could force a local filling station out of business, as previously happened to the same owner when the Tesco operation opened up along the road.

Mohammed Sarwar, owner of Pricekracker, Fintry Road, claimed the roads would not cope with the build-up of traffic if a new supermarket opens in Linlathen. He has written a formal letter to Dundee City Council objecting to the plans and argued the increased traffic will endanger the lives of nearby residents.

He also said closures of Somerfield on Pitkerro Road and Morrisons’ own supermarket on Arbroath Road show there is not enough demand for a new supermarket.

Ron Neave, chairman of the Fintry Community, said the main concern is the traffic congestion. He said, “The site is on a main trunk road. We’ve got to look at the safety of the elderly and all who use that road.”

City-based Green MSP Shiona Baird has expressed her disappointment that the proposal has been backed by planners, who claim the objections received do not carry sufficient weight to warrant rejection of the application.

She said, “These developments have an unenviable track record of damaging small businesses, which are at the mercy of an inherently unfair business rates regime, while big supermarkets are able to squeeze suppliers, drive down prices and still reap the benefits of disproportionately cheaper rates.

“I can only hope the Scottish Executive, which will have a role in determining the Linlathen site development due to the council’s ownership of the land, will decide to exercise common sense and reject it.”