PLANS that could bring thousands of new jobs to a Kent town centre are a step closer.

Proposals for land at Crown Quay Lane and Eurolink Way in Sittingbourne are expected to be submitted to the borough council by Tesco, Hammersons and Persimmon Homes next month.

The development would include a Tesco store, housing, a leisure complex, bars, a restaurant and cafe, a hotel and a petrol station.

Katherine Edwards, corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said the store would provide about 500 jobs with the whole development creating up to 2,000 jobs.

The town’s railway station would be improved and the development would be linked to an expanded Forum shopping centre by a bridge.

A second proposal would see Asda with Town and Beach developers opening a supermarket in the Forum shopping centre, creating about 250 jobs.

The centre would include other new shops. But an Asda spokesman, whose scheme will be submitted in September, said that his company would pull out if Tesco’s scheme was approved.

Retailers and developers are due to discuss town centre expansion plans at the Swale Local Plan inquiry on July 12.

Norman Mount, chairman of Sittingbourne Retailers’ Association, said the proposals would bring prosperity and jobs to the town.

Mr Mount thought the Tesco/Hammerson development would not help Sittingbourne High Street because he could not see shoppers walking across the bridge to the new development.