NEW plans for a supermarket development in Somerford were unveiled at a public exhibition yesterday.

Residents were able to view new proposals for a food store at Meteor Retail Park in Somerford Road throughout the afternoon and evening.

The development, which could bring £5million of investment to the area, includes a 30,000sq foot supermarket as well as two non-food stores on the land where PC World currently stands.

And there would also be 200 new full time and part time jobs created with the supermarket and other two units on the site.

An appeal for a previous food store application on the site was dismissed by an inspector at the end of last year following concerns about the effect it would have on the vitality of the town centre.

Tom Whitehead, town planning manager with Brookhouse, said: “We have responded to those concerns and the new supermarket is half the size of before.

“But the community is calling for a store that serves their needs.

“A lot of people have been very supportive of our plans. They say they want a food store here.

“This site needs to be regenerated and we are keen to get on with it. We want to create a completely new site here and do it properly.

“Obviously this is part of our consultation and not final plans.

“Bar any fundamental problems I would hope to be able to submit in around three weeks.

“We’ve had the site for five years and as soon as we took it, we started to try and do things.”

Although Mr Whitehead could not say which supermarket would be going into the site, he did say it was “one of the big operators”.

He added: “People are saying they want choice and this is what we hope to give them.”

Steve Pigott, who lives in Somerford, said: “I think the plans are great. It will bring in some much needed new jobs to the area.

“That land definitely needs something doing with it.”

And Andy McClelland, pastor of the Greenhouse Fellowship in Somerford said: “They’re very, very good. It is good to see that it is a development that will generate employment.

“Ultimately it is something the community wants.”

Jason Perry, chairman of community group FROGS said: “I think it’s brilliant. It will bring jobs for local people. We need to do something with that site it’s an eyesore as it is.”