The proposed site at Slackbuie Farm in Inverness

Highland Council's Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey committee has twice deferred the outline application.

It goes before the committee again next Tuesday.

Among the main reasons given for refusal are because it goes against planning policy, is of an "excessive scale" as well as congestion concerns.

Petrol station

Asda has claimed support from within the local community for the store, which would be its first in Inverness.

Councillors previously deferred because they wanted to first consider a Scottish Government unit's refusal of a proposed fourth Tesco for the city.