BUILDING work on the new supermarket planned for the centre of Great Harwood looks set to start next summer after Hyndburn Council said its deal with property developers was as good as done.

retail chain United Norwest Co-op will to build a £5million supermarket in Queen Street on the site of the town's library, a day care centre and recreation land.

More than 4,000 Great Harwood residents recently took part in Lancashire's first-ever referendum. The vote showed two out of three townsfolk in favour of the development.

The 25,000 sq ft store would be similar to one recently built in Ramsbottom and would create around 75 new jobs.

Opponents had claimed the proposed store would sound the death-knell for smaller retailers in the town.

Hyndburn Council owns part of the site, and its policy and resources committee has agreed to sell its land to development firm Dransfield Properties Ltd.

Top officers and councillors have been given responsibility for closing the deal.

Council director of regeneration Nigel Rix said: "The land sale has been agreed between all the parties concerned and the matter is in the hands of solicitors so that contracts can be exchanged."

He said formalities should be complete by the end of January and said he expected work on an alternative day nursery at Atlas Street, Clayton-le-Moors, to begin in February.

Work on the supermarket could begin in the summer, he added.

The Co-op recently received planning permission to alter the town's existing Late Shop and split it into two separate stores, which could be sold to two high street retailers.

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