Supermarket giant promises hundreds of jobs at new store

If the newly-submitted plans get the go-ahead, a major upgrade" will take place at Fletcher's bakery - which is selling the land which is currently its staff car park to Sainsbury's - and improvements will also be made to the junction of Claywheels Lane and the main A61 Penistone Road.

Sainsbury's said that an "extensive public consultation" had taken place with local residents during the summer and more than 200 neighbours have already submitted responses, with the "vast majority" being in favour of the new supermarket.

Kevin Macmillan, regional development executive for Sainsbury's, said: "We have been liaising closely with the local community over the course of the public consultation.

"The support we have generated has been pleasing both for the new store and the benefits it will bring to an important local employer, Fletchers. Sainsbury's is under-represented in north Sheffield and we are looking forward to improving the choice for our customers in this area."

Although Sainsbury's already has a number of its small "Local" shops around Sheffield, it has just two large supermarkets in the city - at Archer Road, in Millhouses, and at Crystal Peaks - both of which are some distance from the proposed site in Wadsley Bridge.

If the planning application gets the go-ahead, Sainsbury's will be the second supermarket chain to open up a new superstore in the northern part of Sheffield.

Earlier this year Asda was given consent to build a new store on the other side of Penistone Road, in Parson Cross.

As part of its plans for the new store, Sainsbury's plans to fund an "all directions" junction between Penistone Road and Claywheels Lane, which will involve increasing the length of the proposed right-turn filter lane from Penistone Road by 15 metres.

Sainsbury's also maintains that the proposed improvements to Fletcher's bakery, which has been established in Sheffield for more than a century, will "enable more modern and efficient production", so that the firm can "maintain its position as one of the premier UK suppliers of bakery products."

Stephen Holding, managing director of Fletchers, said: "The finance generated by the sale of land to Sainsbury's is to be ploughed back into modernising and developing our Sheffield Wadsley Bridge bakery.

"Assuming planning permission is granted, work would get under way on the bakery improvements before a start is made on the Sainsbury's store.

"Given the envisaged increases in production at the bakery we can and will safeguard the jobs of our 300 Wadsley Bridge employees."

If the supermarket proposals get the go-ahead, Sainsbury's will build a 50,000 sq ft shop along with a restaurant, a recycling area and about 460 car parking spaces underneath.

The land to be sold to the company by Fletcher's has been used only as a car park since 2006, when the buildings which then stood on the site burned down.

It is thought that the planning application, which was submitted to Sheffield's planning department late last month, will be decided at the December meeting of Sheffield Council's west and north planning and highways board. Members of the public are still able to comment on the application through the council website.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury's is also set to open up a new branch on Arundel Gate in Sheffield city centre at 9am today.

The 2,500 sq m Sainsbury's Local store will be the first retailer to move into the new landmark City Lofts St Paul's Tower and will sell mainly convenience food aimed at city dwellers and students.