Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is proposing a £20million development in Herne Bay, creating 200 jobs.

Plans for the store on the High Street's bus depot site, first revealed in March, have just been confirmed.

The scheme comprises not only a Sainsbury’s store with a sales area of more than 2,600 sqm but also eight flats above, and a car park for 157 vehicles below.

Harriet Thompson, Sainsbury’s development surveyor for the South East, said: “We are excited about the prospect of opening our first store in Herne Bay and believe that our proposal would contribute towards the council’s regeneration plans.”

The announcement comes in the week Tesco said they were just two weeks from submitting their planning application for an Express store at the site of the Queen’s Garage in Canterbury Road, creating about 25 jobs.

Planning permission is still to obtained.