Proposals for a £13million superstore for Felixstowe have taken a step forward after community leaders in the town gave the project their backing.

Cranford Developments has submitted the scheme for the 20,000sq ft store, filling station and 164-space car park at Haven Exchange, off the Dock Gate One roundabout, because no progress has been made on plans for an already-agreed supermarket in the town centre.

Last year, consent for an Asda store on the 4.6acre site was refused.

The new plans – which would create around 200 jobs – have now been recommended for approval by Felixstowe Town Council.

The council said it “welcomed proposals for inward investment into the town and a new supermarket for Felixstowe on this site, having considered the impact on the retail offer in the town generally and the town centre in particular”.

Councillors were also pleased with the extra competition that would come from having an additional fuel outlet in the town – with the possibilty of price cuts for motorists.

Planning committee chairman Andy Smith said an extra store would also bring more competition between supermarkets in the town which was currently “sadly lacking”.

The potential impact on the traditional town centre had been assessed, but most people did their weekly food shop at a major supermarket and so it was felt the addition of another store would not change this pattern and affect the town centre shops.

Mr Smith said: “If we could get a wider range of goods in Felixstowe it would reduce the incentive for many people to drive out of town to Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, and if they are more likely to stay in town and shop here that can only be a good thing for the town as a whole.”

Simply Planning, agents for Cranford Developments, said the need for a new foodstore in Felixstowe had become “more pressing” because of competition from edge-of-Ipswich stores and new housing being built at the resort.