LIDL has been given permission to open its first store in Colchester.

The supermarket giant will knock down the former Colchester Wine Company site, in Gosbecks Road, to build the 2,088 sq m supermarket, creating 40 jobs.

Bosses hope the store will be open by summer 2016.

A Lidl spokesman said: “We are delighted our planning application has been accepted.

“Colchester has long since been an area of interest for Lidl and now the right site has been found in Gosbecks Road, we are eager to begin work.

“Demolition of the existing building will begin in the next few months and construction of the new Lidl store will follow shortly.

“We are hoping the store will open its doors in mid-2016.

“At this early stage, we are unable to confirm the number of jobs which will be created, but these will be significant for the local area and both full and part-time positions will be available.”

The store will be open from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Lidl’s planning application was submitted in July last year.

Negotiations over the design between Lidl and Colchester Council delayed progress.

Planning officers have now finally rubber-stamped the plans, which include parking for 123 cars on a former Colchester Council depot.

Major planning applications are usually decided by Colchester Council’s planning committee, but because there were no objections, officers dealt with it.

A council spokesman said: “There were a couple of design changes requiring discussion and alterations which affected the time it took for a decision to be made.

“There was no request via the member call-in process for planning approval to be granted by the planning committee and no objections were raised by local residents, which meant officers were able to make the decision.”

The site went on the market in December 2012. Lidl was chosen to take it over in February last year. Colchester Wine Company has moved to Park Lane Business Centre, in Langham.