Page\Park, the practice behind projects such as the revamped Glasgow School of Art, BBC Liverpool and Maggies’ Centres in Inverness and Glasgow, has been recruited by the We Like Milngavie campaign group, which is in a sustained battle with the retail giant.

The protest group said it brought the architects on board after accusing Tesco of continuing to ignore its concerns despite promises to consult the community.

The company’s original plan to expand its Milngavie store was rejected by East Dunbartonshire Council in April 2010; and earlier this year Tesco appealed to the Scottish Government-appointed reporter, who heard statements that highlighted the potential damaging visual impact the scale of the proposed store would have on the area.

The supermarket had planned to demolish its existing operation and replace its current store with a two-storey supermarket with a decked car park.

Following the reporter’s decision, Gloria Coats, Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, said a new store would be built with locals’ wishes in mind, adding the company “recognised the need to reconsider the design of the previously submitted scheme”. But campaigners claim Tesco’s redesigned store is a tweaked version of the one which was rejected and ignores the community’s vision for the site.

The group said the area of Gavin’s Mill – which gives the town its name – would ruined by the store’s scale and that the effect on Milngavie traders and traffic would be no different.

Page\Park partner Brian Park said the firm was not interested in redesigning a Tesco store but believed the retailer would “adapt and change to meet civic demand where this is presented convincingly as being appropriate and for the public good rather than as a blocking mechanism”.

Ms Coats said: “We have undertaken extensive consultation locally and have responded with changes to scale, design, and materials.” She added that new designs were being worked upon.