PLANNING officials are set to consider two applications for new food stores in the west of Darlington.

Applications for the new developments – one in West Park and one in Faverdale – are due to be considered by Darlington Borough Council’s planning committee next month.

Builder Bussey and Armstrong has applied for a 4.37 acre extension to the existing village centre at West Park, which will include a 2,500sq metre supermarket, medical centre, community hall and office space, as well as 156 parking spaces.

The proposals are part of a long-term masterplan for West Park, which would ultimately include another 1,200 homes, schools, sports pitches and parkland.

Meanwhile, Lateral Property Group has applied to transform the derelict former SCA Packaging site, in Faverdale, into a 32,000sq ft supermarket and petrol station, creating about 165 new jobs.

If both applications are given the go ahead, more than £22m will be invested in the area, and Chris Newsome, retail development director at Lateral Property Group, urged the council to approve both projects.

“There is the capacity for both of these applications to be approved,” he added.

“Councillors are in the unusual and positive position that stores want to invest in the town."

So far, the authority has received more than 80 letters of support for the Faverdale development, which could either include one main supermarket, or become the first QVRC (quality value retail concept) in the region, combining stores like Aldi and Marks and Spencer side by side.

The application also includes plans for a landscaped public area, which would celebrate the town’s railway history.

Although the company is in talks with a number of food store operators, rumours that high-end retailer, Booths, were considering the sites have been quashed after the firm confirmed it is not interested in investing in Darlington.

Mr Newsome said: “We don’t believe the council needs to choose between the two sites, but there is a risk to the town if they choose one above another.

“Our site is popular with retailers and requires their investment, otherwise it could result in a contaminated brownfield site in Faverdale remaining derelict.

"There is a real gap in this area for this type of development. It is quite difficult to get through the town to the other food stores, so people are saying they are going to Bishop Auckland to shop.

"There is an under provision of food stores in Darlington and these developments would resolve that."