Morrisons wants tomove on to a community garden that residents fought to prevent becoming the site of a supermarket.

The food giant has put in a licensing application to take over the unit at 58-62 Lewes Road, Brighton.

Lewes Road Community Garden was opened by locals on the derelict Esso garage in 2009 and used by residents to grow plants and vegetables.

The group was forced off the site by bailiffs and the garden was cleared in 2010 to make way for a new development.

Tesco was due to move into the new building but pulled out in the face of public opposition to the work.

The unit has never been used.

Now an application has been submitted for Morrisons to take over the lease of the building.

Signs on lampposts and on Brighton and Hove City Council’s website reveal that Morrisons wants to serve alcohol from 8am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday.

But local residents, who campaigned successfully against developer Alburn Minos initially building on the site and then against Tesco taking over the leasehold, have started a social networking campaign against Morrisons.

A statement on the website said: “Why should you be objecting to this application?

“Well for the following reasons: There are already too many outlets selling booze on the Lewes Road – off the top of my head at least 11 between Elm Grove and Sainsbury’s at the junction with Bear Road.

“It would be a huge shame if all the campaigning that took place while the Lewes Road Community Garden was in existence to see off Tesco goes to waste by letting another major supermarket into that space.

“It would be lovely to see that retail space occupied but not by a hostile competitive supermarket chain.”

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: “We’re in the early stages of discussion about bringing a Morrisons M local to Brighton.

“We will of course listen to any concerns residents may have.”