PLANS for a new budget supermarket at the site of a former DIY store have been approved, despite a late bid from a rival to scupper proposals.

Lidl’s bid to convert the site of Colchester’s former Homebase store, in St Andrew’s Avenue, was unanimously approved by the planning committee.

Both Asda and Tesco, which have stores within two miles, submitted official objections against the plans.

READ MORE: Asda at war with Lidl over ex-Homebase site store bid

Tesco’s objection was submitted less than 24 hours before the meeting on Thursday and called for the application to be removed from the agenda to allow officers’ extra time to scrutinise the detail.

It said: “This is a proposal which clearly engages a number of complex retail policy issues and there are now two national retailers identifying their concerns.

“The council has not sought external retail advice on these issues and is, therefore, at risk of making a decision founded on a lack of information about the effects of the proposal.”

READ MORE: Lidl fights back in store wars with Asda over Homebase bid

Marcin Koszyczarek, a senior planner at consultants Rapley’s, said both firms’ concerns were addressed in the committee’s report.

He said: “The council’s officers have concluded the scheme would not result in any adverse impacts for any designated centres and there are no preferable sites available in retail centres to accommodate the development proposed in this application.”

Planning committee chairman Cyril Liddy added: “As far as I am aware there has been retail units on that particular site since the early 1980s.

“In one sense the precedence is already set. Commercial competition is not a material planning consideration so although objections have been raised they in my mind they do not carry a great deal of weight.”

The new multi-million pound store will create 40 jobs.

Construction is set to begin in the next few months with a provisional opening date set for the start of 2020.

Andrew Hodkinson, Lidl UK's regional head of property, said: "We could not be more delighted to have received planning permission and look forward to getting started on construction.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for their continued support and very much look forward to opening our doors and offering our fresh, quality, great value products in the not too distant future."