THE opening date of a controversial multi-million pound supermarket on the former steelworks site in Consett has been fixed for later this month.

Retail giant Tesco confirmed its new out-of-town store will open to the public on October 24.

The unveiling of the shop will coincide with the closure of Tesco at nearby Delves Lane.

It will employ about 400 staff, some 250 more than it already does in the former industrial town.

The development was initially given the backing of the now defunct Derwentside District Council, whose members said they were ‘minded to approve the plan’ in 2009.

But councillors had been advised to reject the plans because planning officers warned it would be detrimental to the local economy.

The plan had to be referred to the Government Office North-East because the application was at odds with the existing local plan.

But the office ruled that no public inquiry was necessary and Durham County Council’s planning committee gave the scheme the go ahead when it was discussed by members in 2011.

The firm has said the £2.5m store is one the new generation of eco-stores, cutting energy use by recycling rainwater for toilets, wind to provide ventilation and air conditioning, natural light and eco-friendly building materials and refrigeration units.

Tesco worked with Project Genesis on the development of the site, which was once dominated by heavy industry.

Morris Muter, managing director of Project Genesis, said: “We have other developments taking shape now in the form of new workshops, retail development, a drive-in Starbucks next to the Tesco store and social housing.

“Project Genesis will manage the landscapes we are creating long after the developments are completed.

“The people of Consett and the town have a lot to look forward to.”

Last November, Tesco’s rival Morrisons’s also opened a giant store employing 319 on a site nearby.