TESCO has been given the green light to open a new shop inside an empty historic building in Colchester High Street.
The supermarket giant has been given planning permission to create a new shopfront and install illuminated signage on an empty unit in the town centre.
It was home to outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Mountain Warehouse, which closed in 2020, and is located next door to the town centre McDonald's.
The move could create dozens of new jobs.
Tesco will revamp the unit, creating one of its Tesco Express stores, which are smaller convenience stores often with longer opening hours.
Works will see the entrance to the shop relocated from the centre of he building to the left-hand side, with a second entrance created from Pelham's Lane.
The new shopfront will be created from timber to suit the historic nature of the building, which is believed to date from before 1870 and has been used as a shop since at least 1888.
New coolers and air conditions units will also need to be installed on the premises.
Plans - The supermarket giant has been given planning permission to create a new shopfront
The application does not mention how many jobs would be created by the new store, however, it will likely be dozens.
Colchester Council has now given the green light to the plans.
The plans received no objections from members of the public.
Colchester Civic Society "welcomed" the plans but feared the blue planned to be used for the shopfront would be "an unwelcome dominance."
Colours - an example of a Tesco Express shop with a darker background
Their comment said: "We welcome the possible addition of a supermarket food offer in the High Street, as a reflection of the growth of the town centre dwelling residents.
"We would suggest that the more appropriate colour would be the navy background colour that is more regularly used by the Tesco Express brand with the lettering on this same background rather than the proposed white."
As a result the plans approved will instead see the shopfront painted grey.
The sign for the Tesco Express shop will also be painted grey rather than white.
It is not yet known how soon the shop could open.
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